Football Violence Arrests
16 September 2011, 07:50 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
Eleven people have been arrested in connection with football-related violence in Nottingham City Centre.
The men and teenagers were picked up in the last 48 hours during early morning raids across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
Police say they expect to arrested more people after an incident before Forest's first game of the season at home to Barnsley on Saturday 6 August.
A group of Forest supporters are alleged to have confronted a small number of Barnsley fans outside The Bank pub, in Beastmarket Hill in Nottingham city centre.
No one was injured during that incident, but CCTV footage shows the Forest group goading the Barnsley fans and trying to get into the pub.
In a separate incident on the same day, a Barnsley supporter was punched to the ground in Station Street.
Police also investigating another incident involving Forest and Leicester City supporters in Beeston while the Barnsley match was being played four miles away at the City Ground.
'Disorder will not be tolerated'
More arrests are expected as Nottinghamshire Police tell Capital that football-related disorder will not be tolerated ahead of Nottingham Forest's home game with rivals Derby County tomorrow.
Superintendent Mark Holland, who oversees the policing of football in Nottinghamshire and is the match day commander for this Saturday's game at home to Derby County, said:
"We want to ensure that attending a football match in Nottinghamshire is as safe as it possibly can be for spectators and members of the public alike, and around the grounds the average number of arrests is less than one per game.
"Ultimately, we would like to reduce the policing presence at the grounds so that the cost to the taxpayer is minimised and officers can be out in the wider community, rather than concentrated at a sporting venue for a considerable amount of time on a Saturday.
"These arrests follow weeks of intelligence gathering, reviewing CCTV footage and identifying those we believe were involved, and are timely given that this Saturday sees arguably Forest's biggest league fixture of the season, home to Derby County.
Forest Back Police
A spokesperson for Nottingham Forest Football Club said:
"Nottingham Forest fully support the action taken by Nottinghamshire Police.
"We do not wish to be associated with individuals who involve themselves in this type of behaviour and we will assist the police in any way we can to ensure that the vast majority of our supporters and those of the visiting teams, who wish to attend matches in safety can do so.
"We will impose a ban anyone who is found to be involved in disorder irrespective of any action taken by the courts."
