Police officers try to break up trouble between Spennymoor and Darlington fans

A video has surfaced showing police officers running to try and break up trouble between Spennymoor and Darlington fans on Saturday.

The National League North fixture was put to 1pm instead of 3pm due to police advice, with it segregated, and all supporters having to buy tickets in advance of matchday with none sold to home or away supporters on the day.

On the advice of the relevant safety authorities, the sale of alcohol is also not permitted around the stadium, other than to home supporters within the Everflow Clubhouse, and hospitality lounges.

But still, and as expected, there were some issues that arose, with groups of fans fighting next to The Grand Electric Hall Wetherspoons down Spennymoor high street in hours leading up to kick off.

The game itself saw the Quakers’ four game winning run come to an end when they were beaten at the Brewery Field.

Despite taking the lead through Matty Cornish, the Moors produced a comeback with two goals in five minutes to eventually snatch all three points.

The result means Spennymoor have now won four consecutive games, leaving them just four points below the playoffs. Meanwhile, Darlington stay fourth bottom, a point behind Rushall Olympic.

Darlington & Spennymoor fans fighting before their game today pic.twitter.com/RPmCJ35Luq

— Casual Chaps 🇬🇧 (@CasualChaps) March 9, 2024

Another video of Darlington & Spennymoor fans fighting before their game yesterday pic.twitter.com/toOXrR536v

— Casual Chaps 🇬🇧 (@CasualChaps) March 10, 2024

Darlington boss Steve Watson said, per Northern Echo: “We started the game well and looked like the team on the front foot. We got a good opening goal, but then we had a ten-minute spell when everything we’d been doing really well in defending our box and keeping a high level, we had a bad spell regarding that, and let in two goals. That one spell turned the game.

“We were a little bit panicky after that, we needed to be calmer in the penalty box. The cut-backs could have had less pace on them, and for the players not to be so frenzied.

“Our run of wins has come to an end, but I don’t see us crumbling. I don’t see that side of the game. It’s a setback, but that’s all it is. There are eight games left, if we keep performing the way we have been, then we’ve got a really good chance.”

Spennymoor boss Graeme Lee said: “It was a long, hard, difficult win, and there were some tired legs on that pitch.

“The players showed character in the first half to come back from 1-0 down, they did their jobs and won the game. I thought we sat back too deep in the first half, but the second-half performance was much better, we looked more solid.

“The game was probably far too open for my liking at times, it was end-to-end and both teams wanted to score. “

After the game, Darlington issued a statement from the board of directors regarding pyrotechnics…

STATEMENT:

Issues in last two matches

In our last two games against Scunthorpe and Spennymoor Town, a pyrotechnic has been thrown as the teams and match officials have entered on to the field of play.

This is a dangerous and criminal act, and is contrary to the league’s ground regulations relating to pyrotechnics which are published on our website. It is an offence to bring pyrotechnics to a football match.

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/about/ground-regulations-smoke-no-joke

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/about/national-league-ground-regulations

Both incidents have been reported to the FA by the match referee, and we are awaiting correspondence from them.

Before Saturday’s game at the Brewery Field, we reinforced our usual warning about behaviour on various club platforms, and clearly this was ignored by the people concerned.

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/important-advice-for-fans-travelling-to-spennymoor-on-saturday

Two similar incidents in four days does not reflect well upon the club, and the FA is sure to take that into consideration. We are likely to be heavily fined, and warned about our future conduct. If there is any repetition, then as well as a heavy fine, they could force us to play behind closed doors, as they did recently with Bury, or even deduct points.

Whatever the punishment, it will affect our resources at a key stage of the season, and reflects badly upon the club.

The reckless and irresponsible behaviour of one or two individuals threatens the momentum that the club has achieved in recent weeks. We would ask our true fans to identify these culprits before they derail our progress and to write to us in confidence on report@darlingtonfc.org SHARE 

SEE MORE: Video emerges of Maidstone and St Albans fans getting into pathetic post-match scrap

Twitter users reacted after seeing police officers try to break up trouble between Spennymoor and Darlington fans…

@rvegasopen: Just had to be outside a spoons

@JeremyArnold31: Something about it kicking off in front of the large wetherspoons sign really makes this.

@DAWUK17: Average age 13…

@miffythegamer: The Holy Trinity of Gammon: football hooligans, Wetherspoons pubs, and war memorials.

@AndyClarke5: Embarrassing

@BeagleCG: ‘Football Fights’ 😂 I saw only one punch thrown and it connected with the air. Shouldn’t these lot be revising or something?

@JoshFink24: Viva national league north

@ThisIsBeats: Outside Spoons too. Makes you proud to be British.

@MKsTweeting: Average age 14, embarrassing for both clubs

@Matthew62494531: About 100 yards away from the police station as well!

@TimHickman1994: Literally bairns man, absolutely backward

@BenPrie70484955: I’ll never understand what drives fans to do this, always game for banter in the ground mind. Their parents will be on the news saying their son was kind and never any trouble in a few years when something tragic happens.

@waters1804: I seen them run away from the police. Average age was about 13 it was purely embarrassing

jackwatsonepic108: Forever a shadow behind hartlepool 🔵⚪🔵

jasperbarker05: Darlington runners

spennymoortownfcmemes: Spenny on the right hand side mate

liam__cresswell: Spenny runner chased the lot of yas 4 times 🤣

devinr_07: Spenny done darlo in darlo on the left running back

kaibray4: Spenny only ran because we were getting pepper sprayed

finleyroberts886: These spenny fans clearly don’t have a clue one lad stood on 15 of them and didn’t have a mark on him and they ran before and after the game 😂😂😂

luke_walton22: Darlo pushing them back 👌