BRAWLING football fans brought trouble to York City centre, as tempers flared after a top-of-the-table crunch match.

Police were forced to break up a series of skirmishes in town following Saturday's Nationwide Conference match between York City and Accrington Stanley.

Four men were arrested and charged with public order offences after fights broke out around the Bootham Bar area, Duncombe Place and Coney Street.

One witness told the Evening Press: "A line of police vans all pulled up beside the archway at Bootham Bar. It seemed there was a whole lot of trouble down Bootham."

He said police and supporters then moved towards Lendal Bridge and St Helen's Square.

Inspector Alisdair Dey, of York police, said: "There was a minority of supporters that we had a problem with. There were four arrests in total, all adult males - three from the York area and one from Accrington.

"There was an incident outside the Hole In The Wall pub in High Petergate and further ones about the town. It was a minority, and not that serious an incident. After that, we maintained a high visibility presence."

He said Accrington fans were escorted to the station, and the situation was under control by the time the final train left for Accrington at about 7pm.

Insp Dey said: "It could have been a lot worse had we not dealt with it effectively through early intervention."

There were suggestions that the trouble may have been planned in advance.

The witness said: "The word on the street is that it was a pre-arranged fight between York City fans and Accrington Stanley fans."

A supporter on the home side's internet forum suggested some Accrington fans were seeking revenge for a fracas at a pub at the reverse fixture last October.

Other fans suggested the trouble had been caused by Burnley FC fans infiltrating the visiting supporters.

The match between fourth-placed City and table-topping Accrington Stanley attracted a bumper crowd of just under 4,000. The Minstermen led 2-1 at half-time, but the league leaders levelled through a controversial penalty shortly after half time, before going on to win 4-2.

Staff at the Hole In The Wall declined to comment on what had happened.

In a separate incident, a City supporter was taken to York Hospital after the match, after suffering a heart attack at the end of the game.

Another fan was also taken to hospital after falling down some stairs.

Updated: 11:25 Monday, March 27, 2006