FA set to probe player arrest

May 09, 2005

THE FA was today expected to launch a formal investigation after riot police battling to clear Bury's pitch handcuffed and arrested a Swansea player.

Swansea clinched promotion from League Two with a 1-0 win at Gigg Lane on Saturday, but the party turned ugly as Welsh fans invaded the pitch while their team celebrated in the directors' box.

Goalkeeper Willy Gueret, who was taken to Bury police station, was later released after admitting his guilt and paying an '80 fixed penalty. Referee Colin Webster has revealed to M.E.N. Sport that he has already submitted his damning report to the FA.

Webster said: "I've filed my report to the FA Compliance Department, so it's subject to them whether they decide to investigate the matter further. It does seem likely though.

"I've been refereeing for 19 years and I've never seen anything like that before."

Gueret was detained by police and led away in handcuffs following an altercation in the directors' box, but was later released with a fixed penalty `disorder' charge, which the 31-year-old Frenchman can appeal against.

During the game, play had to be stopped twice, first when Bury goalkeeper Glyn Garner was hit on the head by a mobile phone, hurled from the away end, and then in the 85th minute when Swansea fans swarmed on to the pitch.

Bury boss Graham Barrow was then involved in a heated exchange with Swansea substitute Kevin McLeod.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "Players from the Swansea team appeared in the directors' box, which caused fans to surge towards this area of the ground.

"Due to safety concerns, stewards and police took steps to remove the Swansea players from the box and escort them to the dressing room.

"A member of the Swansea playing staff was issued with a fixed penalty notice for disorder."

Swansea directors collected goalkeeper Gueret from Bury Police Station nearly two hours after the match, and he returned with the team to south Wales.

Swansea chairman Hugh Jenkins said: "It's a shame the police got involved. Unfortunately, we can't control what the police do."

Bury boss Barrow said: "It was a shame the game had to end like that. The game was in danger of being abandoned."

Adrian Forbes scored Swansea's winner after just 27 seconds.

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ben, swansea (09/05/2005 at 17:13)

the riot police were not woried about safety at all they just wanted trouble the stewarts done agood job I WAS STANDING BY A YOUNG GIRL AND THEY SHOUVED A RIOT SHIELD IN HER FACE FOR AND SHE WAS JUST JUMPING UP AND DOWN

Fish, Swansea (09/05/2005 at 23:05)

Nice biased reporting there.

If he admitted his guilt, why is there an article in the western mail with him saying that he did nothing wrong?

Garner was not his by the phone, it landed near him. Even so it's still completely disgusting that someone threw it towards him.

"Swarmed" is hardly the word I'd use, a few idiots ran on the pitch and the rest of us chanted at them to get off.

Marilyn Croft, Swansea (09/05/2005 at 23:05)

I have attempted to send you the official Swansea City Supporters' Trust statement about the heavy-handedness of the GM Police - but it was too large for this space. Could you email me back please and I shall forward it to you by normal email.

Thanks,
Marilyn Croft
Press Officer
Swansea City Supporters' Trust

Kevin, Swansea (09/05/2005 at 23:19)

I was absolutly outraged at the way the Greater Manchester Police handled the game on Saturday. With over 5,000 fans travelling from south Wales, the police and stewards should have been better organised to handle such a big crowd (obviously they don't get many big crowds at Bury!). Then, after a celebratory pitch invasion, which was of no harm to anyone, the police got 'heavy-handed' and started pushing the Swansea players. A simple conversation of "We are trying to clear the pitch, could you all go down to the dressing room for your own private party would have sufficed. But no, they had to get involved for no reason and consequently upset the Swansea fans (women, children and men!!!) This then provoked the trouble outside the ground, which was helped by the police standing there in full riot gear!!! This was not needed as we were celebrating!! The arrest of Willy was purely down to the police and they should take all the blame!! They were disgraceful and they need to look up the words 'celebration' and 'hooliganism' in the dictionary to find out the difference!!

Swansea City, Swansea (09/05/2005 at 23:27)

Poor reporting ! bad policing ! Get your facts correct

Anthony, Staffordshire (10/05/2005 at 11:11)

As usual the Old Manchester "Chip on the Shoulder" raises his head. Your reporting, just like the actions of the GMP is an absolute shambles. If you were at the game, report the facts please next time. Apologies for our fans having a good time and celebrating after the game. We had after all only just won promotion on the last day of the season !!

David Foster, Edenfield (10/05/2005 at 20:35)

I fully support the actions of the stewards and police at Gigg Lane on Saturday. Although the majority of Welsh fans were, on the whole, quite well-behaved, the actions of those who either could not, or would not, understand and heed the requests to stay off the pitch, even as early as the first minute goal, spoilt the occasion for the remainder of the crowd. The Bury supporters were thus deprived of giving their own players a send-off after the game. At least the home fans, though they be small in number, know how to behave. Perhaps the matter can be laid to rest now - in any case, if The Jacks/Swans play as they did on Saturday we'll probably be exchanging places next season so there won't be any chance of a repeat performance! Mind the handcuffs Willy!

john, bury (13/06/2005 at 21:06)

read the referees view and the results of the fa enquiry.i would disagree about the gm police-some of whom weren`t gm police but welsh police

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