Fans disgusted with Solihull stewards ‘abusing and attacking’ Southend supporter

Fans have been disgusted with a Solihull Moors stewards for ‘abusing and attacking’ a Southend United supporter on Saturday.

Footage has emerged of what took place in the stands during the National League clash, Solihull stewards seemingly showing too much force of aggression after the supporter ran onto the pitch.

The @FairCop_ Twitter account, which gives advice for fans on football policing, stewarding, club bans or referral to specialist solicitors, saw the video and tweeted: “This doesn’t look an overly safe way to restrain somebody…”

Solihull Moors stewards seemingly showing a force of aggression towards a Southend United fan this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/ACDIrpipB1

— Simply Shrimpers (@SouthendSimply) August 13, 2022

Scenes here at Solihull , Southend fan is abused and attacked by steward. RT!!! pic.twitter.com/LIee5ZXDdm

— JN (@jxdenxble1) August 13, 2022

The game itself saw Southend pick up their first point of the season with a well-earned 1-1 draw against Solihull Moors with Chris Wreh’s equaliser cancelling out Andrew Dallas’ opener.

The home side broke the deadlock with 12 minutes gone when Callum Maycock slid in striker Dallas to beat goalkeeper Steve Arnold.

Arnold denied Ryan Barnett a second with a 22nd-minute save, however it was opposite number Louie Moulden who had to be at his best to stop Jaden Crowhurst’s deflected effort from levelling the scoreline.

The visitors stepped up their efforts in the second half, and netted with 64 minutes gone when Wreh curled home an equaliser.

Arnold came to Southend’s rescue once again with 14 minutes left on the clock when he denied substitute Josh Kelly a winner as the game ended all square.

However the main talking point of the match was fans being disgusted with Solihull stewards ‘abusing and attacking’ a Southend supporter…

@Southendsid77: Is this Essex police standing there and letting a guy (regardless if he’s a trouble maker or not) have that amount of pressure on his chest and stomach?! You have learnt nothing… an absolute disgrace… as a doorman of many many years get the guy up lock him up properly

@bennieyeSUFC: Disgusting security and typical of the West Midlands lot and the overall treatment of working class football fans. We could have had another George floyd on our hands there with those two neanderfuls on the 10 stone wet Southend fans. @CJPhillips1982 make sure this is looked at?

@callumt84626973: @CJPhillips1982 make sure this is looked into shocking . Yes the bloke may of causes trouble and needed to be taking away understandable. But not in this sickening manner.

@Southendsid77: I’m sure I’ve seen that sitting on peoples chests somewhere before @SUFCRootsHall

@Matt_Inne5: It was unbelievable. He did wrong initially but all the turnstiles were locked so they couldn’t eject him and then he got attacked violently by the stewards (eastern european doormen) who were restraining him with a knee on his throat. This needs investigating immediately.

@Ste_Story: Another week, another video of bouncers being hired as football stewards and using it as an excuse to chuck their weight around 😔

@jervetheswerve1: Or he could have just behaved himself and it would never have happened.

@Turkey_Twizzler: @WMPolice shocking from your officer not stopping this

@Turkey_Twizzler: @LaurenyWebster if a steward was sat ontop of you with his hand in your face and knee on your chest, I bet you’d expect the police to protect you, but no, they stand and watch you be given excessive force because football fans are treated differently to the rest of society

@GeorgeHGMitchel: Makes me sick and the police standing by only getting involved to block the camera!

@jonehil: This video only shows part of this. There were a lot of supporters backing stewards and police into a corner and from what I saw there was some punches thrown. The stewards do show excessive force agreed but if the fan had stayed off the pitch there’s no issue.

@Pandamonium1881: Silly for running on the pitch and yes he may have given it a bit to stewards but surely that’s beyond reasonable force

@Southendsid77: @SUFCPolice love to know your take on this ? The guy has caused trouble and clearly you ar win the right to make an arrest. What’s your thoughts about two large grown men sitting on his stomach and chest ? Have you not learnt anything ? You should hold your heads in shame with 1

@Coppice83: Hope the lads ok, nothing like as bad but a few years ago, the #SolihullMoors @SolihullMoors stewards were unbelievably heavy handed when #Notts visited

@adamgrocott33: Absolutely disgraceful

@Lewblow7: disgusting

@LDilliway: Outrageous! I’m sure most people have never been in that situation before , but having someone on you neck and chest like that (especially in this hot weather) is a frightening experience. Can’t breathe or move. This is not the way to go about this! Police should know better!!

@ShrimpersTalk: Did wrong by going on the pitch and should face action but the behaviour of the Solihull doormen is aborant and needs investigating

@djspireite: That steward is one of the fellas in charge of stewards there, he and others watched as objects, including the corner flag into the Spireite fans at the end of the PO semifinal. Worst stewards, worst security in the league by far, totally amateurish in attitude and application.

@Fozzwafc: That is awful. That steward needs charging

@tonycards: Despite any offence, that has a very bad look!

@goalkeeperdoyle: Why are the police not getting the steward off him? Disgusting @WMPolice

@sufcberry: It’s a football fan, the last remaining group they can beat the shit out of and not face any kind of punishment

@LottieHoughton: This is bringing back memories! A lot of match day stewards are shipped in, I was one of them, most of the people I worked with had either been kicked out of the police or forces. The company I worked for claimed we were match trained (a legal requirement), we weren’t.

@andrewlight84: Very uncomfortable watching that. Have we not learned that sitting on top of someone to restrain them is incredibly dangerous? No wonder the lad was kicking and struggling. Police did absolutely nothing when he got there

@ClassicCounty: They were thugs when we went there last season. Looking for trouble the pumped up whoppers 😳