'Significant' police presence at Headingley Stadium after brawl at Cricket World Cup match

There will be a 'significant' police presence at Headingley Stadium after a brawl during the Cricket World Cup match between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Headingley Emerald Stadium. Photo: PA.Headingley Emerald Stadium. Photo: PA.
Headingley Emerald Stadium. Photo: PA.

Officers were called to the stadium, in St Michael’s Lane, shortly before noon on Saturday, June 29 to a disturbance outside the ground involving a large group.

There were also reports of people climbing over a wall and attacking staff on a gate.

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Two men were arrested on suspicion of affray. One has been released without charge and a 22-year-old has been bailed pending further enquiries.

-> Full investigation launched into fight at Headingley Stadium during Pakistan v Afghanistan world cup matchKirkstall Ward Councillor Fiona Venner said that residents who lived nearby had been 'shocked' by the violence and said that she has 'made sure' that there is an increased police presence for the remaining two world cup matches.

Coun Venner said: "Residents in the Queenswood and Burley area suffered as a result of the World Cup last weekend. The main problems were the shocking violence and noise which went on four several hours after the match.

"It's not what we would expect from a cricket match and it has not happened before. We don't normally have problems with violence. We expected traffic and parking problems but we did not expect the level of violence we saw at all.

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"The club was very shocked as they were not expecting any violence but I think the police and club dealt with it as well as they could."

She added: "This week I have been working with local residents associations to make sure that there is not a repeat of what happened at the next two matches.

"I have personally worked with the police and we have ensured there will be a significant police presence and traffic wardens at the upcoming games."

West Yorkshire Police confirmed that there will be a police presence at the games against Afghanistan v West Indies match on Thursday, July 4 and Sri Lanka v India match on Saturday, July 6.

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Superintendent Chris Bowen, who heads operational policing for Leeds District, said: "Crowd trouble is relatively unheard of in cricket, and, as such, Saturday’s match had been assessed by us as low risk and suitable for a security operation led by stewards without any police presence in the ground.

“We have now reviewed the policing arrangements for the coming matches this week at Headingley, in consultation with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, and an enhanced police presence and stewarding will be in place to ensure people attending can have a safe and enjoyable time.”

Steve Elworthy, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 Managing Director said: “We welcome and fully support a police investigation into the events at Headingley. We will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour that spoils the enjoyment for the majority of fans.

“The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has been a fantastic celebration of cricket so far and it would be a shame if these isolated incidents, that are not common in our sport, overshadow this.”

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Coun Venner also raised concerns about the 'illegal and inconsiderate' parking and traffic troubles during and after the match which affected people who live near the stadium.

She said: "Lots of residents got in touch to complain about inconsiderate parking which led to buses being unable to run into Kirkstall.

"After the match, Headingley and Kirkstall were gridlocked. Traffic was completely jammed and lots of fans were blasting horns and blaring music. It was very noisy and there was lots of congestion.

"On Saturday, there will be more traffic officers policing a wider area around the stadium. We have also requested a joint meeting with police and traffic enforcement because there has been confusion about who can enforce what. We need clarity on what is illegal and what is an issue for the council to deal with."

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Dean Mitchell, who lives nearby and is a member of the Queenswood Tenants and Residents Association, said it is a 'nightmare' in the area as there are no parking restrictions which means sports fan often park in the area.

Mr Mitchell said: "We get all the traffic and parking in our area because there are no parking restrictions such as 'residents only'. It is a nightmare.

"On Saturday, [people on] mobility scooters and mums with prams had to use the main road because all the paths were blocked by pavement parking.

"Elderly residents had to walk three to four miles from the city centre because the bus service was suspended but the cricket shuttle bus was running fine.

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"The chaotic behaviour of fans on Saturday went well into the evening. Quite simply, the residents of Kirkstall and Burley have had enough."

The police have launched a full investigation into the disorder during the Afghanistan and Pakistan match and anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to email [email protected] or contact Leeds District CID via 101 quoting Operation Deeppond.