Video: Six arrested and Pc injured as violence mars Sheffield United '˜friendly'

Humberside Police said one officer suffered a head injury and a suspected fractured ankle after bottles were thrown at him.

Six people were arrested for offences in and around Grimsby Town’s Blundell Park ground for offences including serious assault, affray and public order.

The force is yet to clarify whether the people arrested are Sheffield United or Grimsby supporters.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: “Grimsby Town Football Club played at home on Saturday at Blundell Park, Cleethorpes, against Sheffield United.

“As with all big matches, Humberside Police had a match commander and numerous additional patrols brought in to police and safeguard both the home and away fans separately.

“The afternoon’s pre and post-match mass fan assemblies across the town proved testing at times, with numerous confrontations occurring and one police officer sustaining an injury to the head and possibly a fractured ankle after bottles were thrown towards him, showed professionalism throughout.

“Despite the pressure put on the officers to ensure the fans and seaside-goers had a safe and enjoyable experience today in Cleethorpes, officers worked extremely hard and liaised closely with Grimsby Town FC and licensees to ensure practical and constructive efforts were put in place.

“In total six people were arrested for offences in and around the football ground, including; serious assault, affray and public order.”

The Twitter account of the Immingham and Wolds community policing team described how officers had bottles and glass thrown at them as they separated dozens of rival supporters.

It said: “We found ourselves the only ones between two rival groups of 40-plus each intent on fighting.

“We had glasses, bottles and street furniture thrown at us. Thankfully, none of my crew injured.

“Wonder how much worse if we weren’t there.”

All pubs in the Cleethorpes area voluntarily closed between 5pm and 7pm on Saturday following the match for ‘public safety reasons’.

Around 2,000 Sheffield United fans travelled to yesterday’s game.

It follows trouble involving Grimsby supporters in Sheffield city centre in April 2015 in which two police officers were injured and a large group of fans smashed bottles and glasses on the street outside The Graduate pub.

The group of Grimsby fans had stopped in Sheffield on their way to their team’s game against Alfreton.

Online video footage has been posted on YouTube of one of the series of clashes between rival fans yesterday.