West Ham has vowed impose life bans on the fans responsible for violence outside the Boleyn Ground ahead of West Ham’s final game at Upton Park last night.
The Football Association (FA) has also condemned the violent scenes and confirmed it will investigate the trouble both pre-match and during the game.
Home fans hurled bottles at Manchester United’s team coach, delaying kick-off by 45 minutes. Met police confirmed an officer and member of the public were injured during the disorder.
When the match did eventually start, Red Devils’ keeper David De Gea was hit by bottles as he celebrated Anthony Martial’s first of two goals.
The FA later A statement read: “The FA strongly condemns the unsavoury incidents this evening involving both the Manchester United team coach outside West Ham United’s Boleyn Ground and objects thrown from a section of the home support during the game.
“We will work closely with both clubs and the Metropolitan Police to fully investigate these matters.”
A West Ham United statement said: “It was an extraordinary night full of extraordinary moments in front of extraordinary fans. 99 percent of whom behaved impeccably and were a credit to the club.
“We have already had thousands of tweets and emails from fans to say how proud they were to be a part of such a special evening in West Ham’s history.
“However, we are aware that there were some supporters outside the Boleyn Ground who didn’t act in an appropriate way when the Manchester United team bus was damaged.
“That was not acceptable and we will work with the police to identify those responsible and ban them for life.”
A Met Police spokesman said: “Officers from the Met’s Central Football Unit are reviewing CCTV footage after a number of items were thrown towards Manchester United’s coach ahead of a match with West Ham United on Tuesday May 10.
“Damage was caused to the coach but there are no reported injuries to the passengers.
“Four male officers suffered minor injuries as a result of the objects thrown.”
No arrests have been made in connection with the criminal damage caused to the coach.
Three men were arrested during the course of the match. A 20-year-old man on was arrested on suspicion of affray, a 47-year-old man and an 18-year-old man were arrested for pitch incursion.
On the pitch, the Hammers bid farewell to the Boleyn with a 3-2 victory with coming from goals from Diafra Sakho, Michail Antonio and Winston Reid.
West Ham will move to Stratford’s Olympic Stadium from next season, ending a 112-year affiliation with Upton Park.
Anyone with information regarding the criminal damage to the coach should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800555111.
Were you at the game? Email mark.shales@archant.co.uk or call 020 8477 3824.
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