6 Sept 2007 :: by
Mojo, Adders, Doubletoo & the whole staff of leedsutd365.co.uk
West Yorkshire Police have issued pictures of ten men they wish to question in relation to the pitch invasion that occurred before the final whistle had blown at last season's game between Leeds United and Ipswich Town.
Seventeen people have so far been identified. Four of those have already gone through the courts, one of whom, a 22 year old man, has received a 5 year football banning order.
Seven men and one youth will appear before Leeds' magistrates court on Wednesday, September 12 in connection with the enquiry, 5 men remain on bail pending further enquiries.
This is the third set of photographs to be released.
Detective Inspector Phill Wright from City and Holbeck Police is leading the enquiry and says he hopes the success of the poster so far continues with this next set of faces.
"I would like to thank the public for all the information we have received so far in connection with this enquiry. It has allowed us to identify who these people are who we suspect of being involved in football disorder.
"With the new season well underway, some people may think they have got away with it. Today we are showing them that they haven't and we will continue to bring those involved to justice."
The clear colour photographs should make identification easy. It is in the interest of true fans of Leeds United to name these troublemaking opportunists who disgraced the name of Leeds United AFC. Neither Ipswich Town nor the local Ipswich media have forgotten about this incident nor do they intend to let it drop. They have repeated their clear intention to seek punishment for this violence to be meted out to Leeds United by the FA and Football League authorities. The punishment is coming for sure, the FA and Football League have stated that they are monitoring the outcome of the Police investigation; it is only the nature of the punishment that is
in question. The only way to save the club is for the real supporters to distance themselves from the violent pitch invaders - by naming them!
To avoid a further record points deduction true fans of Leeds United must hand over the culprits and protect the club otherwise it is perfectly reasonable to assume, with the history of pitch invasions at Elland Road over the past 36 years, that Elland Road will be closed for up to fifteen matches; or more points deducted - or even the unthinkable - automatic relegation at the end of the season - which is the ultimate deterrent to a crowd seemingly intent on altering the outcome of a game by encroaching on the pitch and attacking away supporters.
Leeds United have been made an example of once this season already - do you have any reason to believe that Lord Mawhinney will pass up another opportunity the thrash the club to within an inch of its life by further exemplary punishment? Of course not. But if the culprits are condemned by the Leeds fans and handed over to the Police then the punishment will be financial - because if you punish the fans even after they co-operate and hand over the guilty then the authorities know that future appeals will be met with a wall of silence. So name and shame and the punishment will just be out of Ken Bates' pocket! But if the fans do not name those pictured today then the Football League will take the silence of the Leeds fans to be taciturn approval of what they did and punish them by closure, relegation or more points deductions.
Don't forget these fans invaded the pitch in the dying seconds when Leeds were on the attack and had just won a corner in front of the Kop - so don't kid yourself that these are fans of Leeds United to whom you owe some misplaced loyalty. No true Leeds United fan would have interrupted play at that point - these were just scum off the streets of Leeds looking for trouble and using OUR club as an excuse.
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