Police arrest man after bottle thrown at Man Utd bus before Liverpool clash

29 January 2024 , 16:06

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Manchester United's team bus arriving before the game at Anfield last month. (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A man has been arrested after Manchester United’s team bus was damaged by a bottle thrown from a gathering of supporters before last month’s game against Liverpool at Anfield.

The 500ml glass bottle was flung at the moving coach on Anfield Road, causing a window to crack.

No one was injured in the incident but footage was uploaded to social media soon after.

Now, as first reported by the Mail, Merseyside Police have confirmed that a 23-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. He has been released under investigation.

The force said in a statement: “We have arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of criminal damage after damage was caused to the Manchester United team bus ahead of a game at Anfield on 17th December 2023.

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“The bus was making its way along Anfield Road, near the Tia Hotel, when it was reported a bottle was thrown at the bus causing a hairline crack to the side window. Nobody was injured during the incident. The man, who is from the Everton area, has been released under investigation.”

It was not the first incident of team buses coming under fire from fans before visits to Anfield, with title rivals Manchester City targeted on two separate occasions.

A video posted on social media appeared to show a man throwing the bottle at the coach. (e9lcl/Twitter)

(e9lcl/Twitter)

The news comes following a weekend of chaos involving supporters, headlined by the widespread trouble that occurred during West Bromwich Albion’s FA Cup defeat to neighbours Wolves. And a referee was chased off the pitch by an irate Port Vale fan during their League One defeat to Portsmouth.

Last season saw the number of arrests at matches across England and Wales reach a nine-year high, with 2,264 - an increase of 66 compared to the previous campaign.

The Premier League have written to clubs reminding them of the importance of fan behaviour, while the EFL's head of security and safety, Bob Eastwood, has said “combatting dangerous and illegal crowd behaviour remains a strategic priority.”

Police said at the beginning of this season that they were aiming to clamp down further on bad behaviour, with the government adding the possession of Class A drugs to banning order legislation.

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Alan Smith