More than 100 women had to be admitted to A&E because they got so drunk at the Take That concerts.
The number of people treated at Manchester Royal Infirmary jumped dramatically on six of the band's eight dates at Eastlands – with doctors blaming the gigs.
And the MEN can reveal that 65 drink-sozzled women were thrown out of the City of Manchester stadium by stewards - with a further 35 men being the worse for wear.
One steward said the women behaved worse than football fans. It is understood that the majority of the patients brought into the MRI were women aged in their 30s and 40s.
They were mainly treated for alcohol-related injuries, such as ankle sprains. But some of the most serious cases included alcohol poisoning and broken wrists.
Doctors had to treat about 160 extra patients on the concert dates – or 27 per day, stretching hospital resources.
This works out to be roughly a 10 per cent increase in the number of people taken to accident and emergency compared to the same period last year.
Dr Steve Jones, the MRI's clinical director of emergency services, said: “We saw an increase from people who’d been at the Take That concerts.”
A steward at Eastlands said: “I have worked at lots of concerts and some of the drunkenness was unbelievable. Some women were slumped in their seats barely able to walk. It was way worse than a football match.” Almost half a million people watched the group over eight nights. Ten concert-goers - six women and four men - were arrested in or near the ground.
Police confirmed they received 22 reports of crime in or near the ground before, during and after the concerts. Among those crimes reported were five public order offences, three assaults, one sexual assault and a number of thefts. The accusation of sexual assault came from a female member of security staff who reported she had been groped by a concert-goer.
The report of an assault was made by a woman who reported she was beaten around the head by a man after she had tried to jump a queue for the male toilet. She was not seriously hurt.
Police had asked licensed premises around the ground not to sell alcohol to concert-goers to prevent trouble. They all abided by the request. Alcohol was still on sale inside the ground.
Senior police say the booze ban outside the stadium prevented more trouble.
Insp Mike Coombes said: “A small minority of fans were able to drink to excess to the extent that they spoiled the evening for other fans attending the concert.
“I would expect a small minority to behave poorly and to have to deal with that. But I would say that over all the number of incidents and arrests are what we would have anticipated for a pop concert of this size.
“We're pleased with the policing operation and we are grateful for our partners in the licensing trade for working with us to help to reduce the amount of alcohol fans drink.”
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Absolutely disgusting .I feel sick and I haven't had a drink.It makes it worse when it is women somehow.I would charge these drunken lushes for the time,money and resources that their selfish behaviour cost our overstretched NHS, My daughter and I would have very much liked to attend that concert.An opportunity which these stupid women wasted because don;t tell me that they remember any of it. Bev Taylor.
When you consider that there was a total attendance near to HALF A MILLION over the eight nights, don't you think these numbers quoted for drunken behaviour pale into insignificance? As a regular seasonticket holder at City, going to many away games, believe me you see much, much worse. The TAKE THAT fans behaved very well on their visit to Manchester. They were cheerful, polite and obviously excited about the gig, but as far as I could see they caused no trouble at all. As I said in an earlier posting, you try putting 58,000 different sets of football fans together, over eight different nights and see the outcome. The Take That fans have nothing at all to feel guilty about (and let's hope we see more pop concerts in East Manchester. They will be welcomed).
The woman behind me lost her balance, falling on me and I was knocked over the seats in front of me, on to the concrete and face planted the floor, knocking me out. I am covered in bruises and very stiff. All because the bar staff at the stadium continued to serve alcohol to the woman behind me even though she was clearly blind drunk before The Pet Shop Boys came on. I missed a fair bit of the gig and my digital camera was smashed so I have no photos. And the response from MCFC? A virtual shrug!
It was terrible - a friend and I accompanied our wives. After the show we were in Mary D's and all these drunken women were leering at us, as if we were pieces of meat. We both felt very degraded.
I think this story just reiterates one thing...
...men > women.
It sickened me to see the site of overweight middle aged, rough looking women sat outside bars in the city centre before the concerts. Although I didn't see anyone doing any harm, I just thought to myself that if Take That played in any other western european city, the women just don't look like that, and don't even get me stearted on tatoos.
"women aged in their 30s and 40s" tried to relive their glory days, only to find they are not sad saggy old lightweights.
Stick to the camomile tea girls, the heydays are over.
There were loads drinking on the train all the way from Southport.
We shop and live in the east manchester area and i thought that all the fans were very well behaved. the oasis fans were terrible urinating on peoples property and litter everywhere and lots of shouting and swearing but take that fans overall were good humoured and well behaved...
@burnaaage bitter - we did report her. And once they peeled the fat lush off me they threw her out. I'm blaming MCFC because it was their bar staff that broke the law by serving alcohol to someone who was clearly incapable. I have spoken to staff at the ground and also the promoters about the incident. Why claim? I'm not a glory hog or gold digger - I wanted to highlight the dangerous situation
I can only say that I am totally relieved the Take That concerts have finished, far too many nights disturbed (ask anyone who lives in the apartments in Sportcity). They were the worst concer goers ever, including OASIS, they were almost on a par with the Rangers fans. Our apartments gates were forced open and broken by these women trying to park their cars for free, they threw bottles, cans, food bags etc. into our grounds. Now our caretaker has been taken off the jobs he should have been doing just to clean up the mess. McDonalds did a good job of trying to keep on top of things but these women were appalling, I know not all of them were, but those who were spoiled it for all the decent fans.
If everyone is so worried about alcohol why is it so available inside?
Was there on Saturday and didnt see anything like that! Besides - after queueing for half an hour to get two drinks at over inflated prices and then having to work through crowds of people to find my sister - we only had the one.
Never agreed with alcohol being served in places such as the MEN Arena - those steps are so steep and someone could easily fall down them in a drunken state!!
I should have reported theft near to the stadium. I got charged £11 for two chip muffins and two cokes at Maine Road chippy!
Type your comment here...I went to the take that concert on saturday and was on the pitch and I must say some of the fans were well and truly bladdered and making a nuisance of themselves. I dont mind people enjoying themselves but when they are spilling drinks all over everyone and slamming into people as they stagger about it was well and truly annoying. Apart from that it was a brilliant concert
Drunkeness, lewd behavour, vomiting , swearing and physical assault. And thats before granny had left for the concert.
unbelieavable a decent concert was full of drunks !! dont get me wrong i like a drink but you want to remember a night like that and not end up paraletic,
What do you expect, the majority of women going to the concert were women in their 30s and 40s, the same 'women' who were fantical take that fans as teenagers, they clearly forgot they are no longer in their teens and thought they could handle a bottle of cider being swigged from giant handbags!! Take that you bored housewives trying to relive your youth!
I added a comment when the paper was discussing about the ban of alcohol around the stadium. I went to the concert with my 8 year old son and sister and witnessed a man being attacked , it resulted in him being unconcious on the floor with blood all over his face. He was taken to hospital and stewards and police taped off the area where he had being lying i described it as like a crimescene. We left 3/4 of the way through the concert due to the amount of drunk people there. When we asked about the man to the steward he said he was in a critical condition. I would just like to know if anybody knows how he is. It was a discrace the amount of alcohol that was being consumed.
So out of almost half a million happy women enjoying themselves, about a hundred idiots made a nuisance of themselves....Not bad at all. I live right next to the stadium and it was nice to see lots of happy smiling people.
Worse than football fans? How many of them beat each other up, or smashed in shop windows?
Hyperbole or what. Middle aged housewives that dont get out much having too much sauce on a girlie day/night out!!
This is what happens when you believe your own propaganda instead of follwing the facts.
The Greeks kept women on a tight rein ,but once a year on the Bachhanal they let them do what they wanted. They got blind drunk, and chased young men in the woods.
I hada lesbian girl friend in the 60s she took me to a club in the city.
The first floor was full of ordinary people,the top floor full of lesbians. The doorman told me they terrified him.When they kicked off they were far worse than men.
This is what women do. This is why every civilisation since the Carthaginians,who worshipped a female goddess by sacrificing their first born in the Moloch has tried to keep women down.
I am not saying men are any better,given drink and the right circumstances, but women are no different in the same circumstances,and their are things about women that makes them even worse. However such a small number out of half a million does not make a powerful argument for anything, either way. I hope the rest enjoyed it.
Peoples concern of alcohol abuse (Binge drinking) & violence is warranted in my opinion. No one goes to a festival expecting to see violence, especially a Take That festival, it does have an impact on the event as it's highly unpleasant. You certainly wouldn't want to expose children to it.... Again i stress, you wouldn't initially think you would at a Take That festival. However, Considering the amount of people that attended the figures suggest it was a huge success. People are always going to drink to much, it will never change & unfortunately it's ingrained in our culture. But.... If you find yourself next to a blubbering uncontrollable moron move away, or, report them if they become a danger to themselves and others... But whatevee you do don't let them ruin YOUR night... I live in the apartments close to Eastlands and i didn't witness any trouble and most people were happy & content..... Huge festivals & gigs like that are always going to have issues, you should really expect that before you go. That doesn't mean it's right or wrong!!!
Eurgh so true. I went with my mum and two little sisters and we had a brilliant time when we finally got to our seats but there were some arrogant, orange 'women' walking around that day, pushing in queues at the toilets, queues at the gates to get back to your seat (the one way system was a complete joke by the way City of Manchester). Towards the end people were piling out of the first aid area and collapsing into the seats near us not having a clue where they were. I wish they hadn't sold alcohol that night and I'm not tee total by any means.
Am taking pleasure out of knowing how good Take That were and also knowing that those drunkards won't remember most/any of it. HA