Police are looking for information after a man was injured following a brutal daylight attack by a group of young football fans on Saturday.
Following St Mirren’s Premiership game with Kilmarnock at the SMiSA stadium, the 60-year-old was attacked by a group of adolescents, sustaining serious but non-fatal injuries. The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Ferguslie Park Avenue.
One Buddie described how a group of young Saints supporters, some as young as 12, waited for Killie fans to leave the stadium.
They are said to have harrassed and harassed away fans as they exited by the White car park exit to Ferguslie Park Avenue following their team’s 1-0 triumph.
David Smart, a lifelong Saints supporter, reported seeing very young children “cowering” behind their parents as they attempted to make their way to their automobiles.
He called for all those discovered to be involved in any violence to be banned, telling the Paisley Daily Express yesterday: “The Kilmarnock fans were celebrating and it all looked like quite good fun – nobody was being overly provocative or anything.”
“They probably dribbled out a bit slower than normal because they were celebrating a fantastic season that they’ve had and so, at the start, it was just a trickle of Kilmarnock fans that were leaving. I came out and I saw the fans looking a bit puzzled and angry.
“I saw this group of around 20 or 30 wee guys with these masks on – like something out of a horror movie – and, to my astonishment, they were trying to get a fight going with what I can only describe as a group of very bemused Kilmarnock fans.
“We’re talking about a bunch of ladies and children. You know, parents with their children, and nobody could believe what was going on.
“The tiny boys had evidently gone there to wait for the Kilmarnock fans to arrive. There was no attempt to conceal their aim.
“There were a few scuffles, and the entire situation was horrific. There were individuals surging forward, throwing punches and using handbags, but at least five or six of them were serious.”
David added, “I was appalled and enraged. I can’t tell you how angry I was about the whole affair. St Mirren is doing a lot to be a community club, and this last thing we need.
“I noticed a man with his little boy and girl, who were probably around ten. They were hiding behind him, and that is how they will remember St Mirren.
“These lads are really young, ranging in age from 12 to 14, with some being slightly older. They’re just little lads.
“The problem they had was it was just a trickle of Kilmarnock fans when they started their attack but, shortly after, there was about 1,500 of them and then the gang got chased down the road a bit.”
The man injured in the attack was sent to Crosshouse University Hospital in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, for treatment. Police are now calling for all those who observed the attack or who may have dashcams
footage of the chaos to come forward.
Detective Constable Robert Urquhart of Paisley CID said: “Extensive enquiries are being carried out to establish the full circumstances of this incident.
“We understand that the area was busy at the time, and we would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident and hasn’t already spoken with authorities.
“I would also ask any motorists with dash-cams who were in the area to check their footage in case they have captured anything which could assist with the investigation.”
St Mirren Football Club has also requested witnesses to Saturday’s events to contact the police.
A representative stated that St Mirren strives to provide a pleasurable matchday experience for all visitors to the SMiSA Stadium.
“The club continues to devote a significant amount of effort and research into ensuring that we are inclusive to everybody, and we recently launched our ‘Everyone is Welcome, We’re everybody Buddies’ campaign. We will not comment on the exact incident because it is still under investigation by the police.”
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