Video: trouble flares at
Priestfield

by Jenni Horn

Gillingham's 5-0 victory over Swindon
was marred by trouble after the match.

There was some fighting among the fans
during the Gills’ League 1 opener, resulting in eight Swindon
supporters and two Blues fans being ejected from the Priestfield
Stadium.

But the majority of the trouble took
place outside the ground.

Police did their best to separate the
supporters after the final whistle but there were some clashes
between fans.

Officers acted quickly to keep the two
sides apart - forming lines across the streets and using police
dogs to disperse the crowds.

Some Swindon fans were escorted into
Gillingham railway station by officers.

A police helicopter circled the ground
both before and after the match and some roads were closed to
traffic.

The kick-off was at 12.30pm, after Kent
Police requested to bring the match forward to keep trouble to a
minimum. But it is thought some pubs in Gillingham opened
early.

It is not known how many arrests were
made.

~ For a match report and picture gallery
go to our Gills section >>>