Fan arrested as 1,500 Hartlepool supporters add to gridlock

One eyewitness described large groups of Hartlepool fans chanting, shouting and waving flares as they arrived at York Railway Station ahead of the match.

During the match itself, a 17-year-old Hartlepool fan had to be escorted from the community stadium by stewards on suspicion of throwing a flare in the course of City's 3-1 defeat.

The fan was was subsequently arrested by police and questioned, but later released without charge.

Blue smoke spreads across the community Stadium during York City's match against Hartlepool United on Saturday (Image: Tom Poole)

Gabriel Ramsey, The Press' York City reporter who covered the game, said 1,502 Hartlepool fans were at the match - the biggest group of travelling fans to come to the LNER stadium this season.

He said he saw Hartlepool fans with flares before kick-off - and again after their first goal went in. "Flares were thrown on and stewards dealt with them, but there was nothing too dangerous," he said.

Hartlepool v York was a bit of a grudge match, he admitted, because the two clubs were close rivals in the National League - and because Hartlepool are now managed by former York boss John Askey.

Police taking video footage during the York City vs Hartlepool United game on Saturday (Image: Tom Poole)

Earlier, eyewitness Derek Ralphs described seeing large numbers of Hartlepool fans - many with banners draped over their shoulders - gathering outside York Railway Station ahead of the match.

One large group of fans, who Derek thinks may have come by coach, marched over the Queen Street bridge towards the station, where they met another group of fans who had arrived by train.

"I was waiting for the bus to go back home back to Pocklington," Derek said.

"It was quite intimidating, because there were so many of them.

"Blue flares were set off - I counted at least two blue flares."

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A large number of police quickly arrived on the scene to corral the fans onto buses, Derek said - but he saw at least one fan throw a flare away as the police arrived.

Derek, an 80-year-old retired newspaper photographer and picture editor, accepted that there was no violence.

"But it was quite frightening," he said. "They were all shouting and singing football chants at the top of their voices."

Police with Hartlepool United fans outside York Railway Station on Saturday (Image: Derek Ralphs)

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "A significant police operation was put in place on Saturday.

"A large number of fans caught buses from the city centre, and officers engaged with them proactively as they travelled towards the stadium.

"A 17-year-old boy from Hartlepool was ejected from the stadium by stewards and arrested by officers on suspicion of throwing a flare onto the football pitch.

"However, following further inquiries he was released with no further action."

The visit of the 1,500 Hartlepool fans coincided with the first Saturday of York's Christmas fair - traditionally one of the city's busiest days of the year.

Several visitors and locals complained York was gridlocked on the day. Mr Ralphs said the arrival of the Hartlepool fans at the station only added to the problems.

The Press has approached both York City and Hartlepool United for comment.