The vast majority of Guernsey supporters were well behaved and gave Jersey Police no cause for alarm. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0574886)
POLICE were ‘heavy-handed’ at Monday’s Muratti in Jersey, according to some Guernsey football supporters.
Five arrests were made and all were Guernsey residents. Four were juveniles, who were referred to the duty centenier of St Helier to be dealt with. All were cautioned and released. A 26-year-old man, Thomas Hicks, appeared before the Jersey Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He had been thrown out of the stadium for being too drunk and ended up spending a night in the cells.
Billy Page and Tom Walsh, both 19, who were in a group of about 30 Guernsey people at the game, said police had gone ‘over the top’. ‘It was like we weren’t meant to be there,’ said Mr Walsh. ‘They kept surrounding us so we could only go where they wanted us to.’
Mr Page said that before the kick-off, they had been asked to leave McDonald’s by staff because their group was too big and they had instead gathered outside The Dog and Sausage pub nearby. He said the group were singing but heeded police requests to stop swearing.
Mr Page said an egg thrown by a Jersey supporter had hit him on the back in the stadium but police had taken no action. Carrots were also being thrown.
He said the Guernsey group had not been drunk. ‘I had about five or six pints throughout the day – I hadn’t been drinking heavily. I wouldn’t say anyone was drunk, but they’d had enough to bring themselves up a bit. There was some abuse, but not more than that.’
Officers escorted the group back to the ferry and stopped them from buying food along the way. Mr Page said that when a friend had stopped to light a cigarette, a policeman pushed him in the back and told him to keep going.
Mr Walsh said an officer had grabbed by the neck a friend who had been singing and told him he would not be catching the boat if he did not stop.
But one Guernsey man who went to the game said the behaviour of a minority of Guernsey supporters had been disgraceful and they had spoilt the day for everybody.
A Guernsey woman said Jersey police had in fact been tolerant and she thought more people were lucky not to have been arrested.
The operation was a joint one between States of Jersey and Honorary police.
The former declined to comment on the allegations, but Inspector Louis Beghin did say: ‘Despite the arrests, the event was enjoyed by a large, good-natured crowd of Jersey and Guernsey supporters numbering roughly 3,000.
‘We are pleased that there were so few arrests and that the vast majority of the supporters behaved responsibly.’
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