Greater Manchester Police have confirmed 11 men aged between 18 and 30 years old were arrested following yesterday’s Oldham Athletic vs Wrexham AFC match at Boundary Park.
A post-match investigation to identify more offenders, who will be arrested and placed before the courts, is also underway and GMP will be seeking football banning orders.
Wrexham AFC would like to reiterate our zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour at, and around, our football matches. We fully support GMP in their approach, and will be working with the authorities where relevant.
Five men have been handed football banning orders in recent months for incidents at Wrexham matches last season, and as previously stated, anybody found guilty of such unacceptable behaviour will face the strictest possible consequences.
Yesterday saw 2,520 Wrexham supporters form part of Oldham’s highest attendance at Boundary Park since their FA Cup game against Liverpool in 2013.
We would like to officially place on record our thanks to the vast majority of those who attended the game, for their tremendous support and the incredible atmosphere they helped to create. Our supporters played their part in a memorable day for the Club, and the loud, passionate and vocal support is appreciated by all the players, staff and everybody associated with Wrexham AFC.
The Football Club is also aware of the violence and anti-social behaviour which took place in Failsworth, four miles away from the ground.
We strongly condemn this hooliganism. The individuals involved do not represent our fanbase and are not welcome at our Football Club. We urge all supporters to distance themselves from such behaviour.
Wrexham AFC CEO Fleur Robinson said: “We would like to thank the vast majority of our travelling fans for their incredible, passionate and vocal support at yesterday’s game.
“We are sorry that the actions of a very small minority have created more negative headlines, but we can only reiterate our zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour at our matches.
“Our true supporters within Boundary Park showcased the best of our fanbase, with their support contributing to a comeback win – with players and staff all highlighting the impact this had.
“Anybody who acts to sour this reputation has no place at our Football Club, and we will continue to work with the police to ensure they face the strictest possible consequences for their unacceptable behaviour.”
Anybody with information that could assist Greater Manchester Police in their investigations can call 101 or contact them on gmp.police.uk. Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously via the independent charity, Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.