South-coast derby arrests: Two football fans charged after use of flares at Southampton v Portsmouth at St Mary's Stadium
Two men charged following incidents at St Mary’s Stadium
Despite Hampshire police confirming that the south-coast derby passed without major incident a number of arrests were still made.
Two football fans have been charged following the Southampton v Portsmouth game on Sunday, October 11 after having flares on them in St Mary’s Stadium.
Luke Hodder, 20, of Hope Road, West End, and Dylan Wentworth, 18, of Shires Close, Ringwood, were charged with possessing a flare at a sporting event and are due to appear in Southampton Magistrates’ Court on December 30 at 10am. They have both been bailed.
With Portsmouth enduring a frustrating 1-0 loss away to their bitter rivals a Saints fan was also arrested for attempting to block the Portsmouth fan’s coaches from leaving.
A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said: “A 38-year-old man, from Southampton, who was arrested for obstructing the highway on Bitterne Road as the Portsmouth supporters coaches were leaving after the match has received a conditional caution. This includes a requirement to pay a fee and attend an alcohol diversion course.”
Following the match, Hampshire police heralded the police operation as a success.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Dodds, gold commander for the policing operation, said: “It has been another really successful policing operation, where we have seen almost 30,000 fans get to and from the game safely.
“Sadly, there were a minority of fans who tried to find an opportunity to cause disruption, but our teams on the ground, supported by club stewards, were able to act decisively and take control of the situation.
“Unfortunately, the actions of that small number of fans did cause a delay to the away coaches leaving the ground, but I’m pleased that no one was seriously injured and the coaches left the city safely.
“I would like to thank the professionalism of our officers and staff who worked alongside both clubs to make sure this was another safe game for all.”
One flashpoint saw a number of fans from both sides pull down fencing in Melbourne Street and Marine Parade as they tried to reach each other when leaving the ground. Officers and club stewards stepped in to stop anyone breaching the fence, and those involved were escorted away from the area.