A MAN was stabbed and violent battles broke out between West Ham and Millwall fans outside Upton Park last night in what police described as "large-scale" crowd trouble. Hundreds of fans were involved in the disorder at the English League Cup game which police said was caused by people without tickets who had planned to start trouble.
The stabbing took place in Priory Road close to the stadium and was connected to the fighting. Police said after the game that the victim of the stabbing was a 44-year-old man who was in a stable condition in hospital. Onlookers said Green Street, close to the ground, was filled with several hundred West Ham and Millwall fans before the match.They said bottles and bricks started being hurled shortly after 6pm. Inside Upton Park pockets of violence also broke out. Some supporters made it on to the pitch. The rival fans taunted one another as news of the fighting outside filtered through.
The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, meaning an extra 30 minutes had to be played. As West Ham took the lead in extra time (winning 3-1 eventually) 50 or 60 fans ran on the pitch. The players were forced off the field for a short time.
Meanwhile, Manchester City hope to introduce Joleon Lescott as their latest expensive recruit today despite encountering a last-minute hitch in the England international’s €25 million move from Everton. The 27-year-old, who has agreed personal terms of around €100,000-a-week with City, passed a medical on Monday, when his arrival at Eastlands, in a deal that could rise to €27 million, was originally intended to be announced.
City, however, have had to delay the official signing as they have been unable to reach an agreement over monies due to Lescott’s representatives, although club officials are confident of concluding a deal in the next 24 hours. Both Everton and City remain in no doubt that Lescott will join Mark Hughes’s squad this week. David Moyes has already moved to replace the former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender. The Everton manager has followed up the €10 million capture of the Russia midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov with a €5.7 million offer for the Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin, his leading choice to replace Lescott.
He is also pursuing a second defender ahead of next week’s transfer deadline. Aston Villa are also interested in Distin, who has handed in a transfer request at Fratton Park and faces a choice between the personal terms on offer at Villa or Goodison Park. Everton also remain confident of signing the Argentinian Ever Banega on a one-year loan from Valencia, having finally sealed the club’s first permanent acquisition of the summer in Bilyaletdinov.
The 24-year-old signed a five-year contract after meeting club officials in Germany, where he also underwent a medical before returning to Russia to complete his visa application. The former Lokomotiv Moscow captain is not expected to encounter visa difficulties given he was a regular in Guus Hiddink’s Russia team until a knee injury cost him a place last season.
Bilyaletdinov is the third most expensive signing in Everton’s history and could travel to Merseyside for Sunday’s home game against Wigan Athletic, although he is unlikely to play. He is due to meet up with the Russia squad on Monday for their World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Wales, and is expected to make his Everton debut at Fulham on September 13th. “I spoke to David Moyes yesterday and he told me he is looking forward to working with me – and I am looking forward to working with him,” he said.
Rio Ferdinand last night said his recovery from a thigh injury is ahead of schedule with the Manchester United and England defender hoping to return to action inside three weeks. While Ferdinand will miss England’s World Cup qualifier against Croatia on September 9th, he is targeting United’s match three days later at Premier League leaders Tottenham for a comeback.
The 30-year-old Ferdinand sustained a slight thigh muscle tear during training ahead of the Premier League opener against Birmingham City. “It’s improving, I’m a bit ahead of schedule,” Ferdinand said. “I’ve been training really hard the last few days. I’m not where I want to be obviously on the pitch, but in a couple of weeks I’ll be back.”
