Aston Villa: Police charge 46 men after 'serious disorder' from Legia Warsaw fans at Villa Park

Aston Villa beat Legia Warsaw 2-1 in the Europa Conference League on Thursday; fans of the Polish side clashed with police before kick-off, with five officers injured; Legia fans were not allowed into Villa Park before kick-off on the advice of West Midlands Police; UEFA is investigating

Saturday 2 December 2023 09:41, UK

Police have charged 46 men after «serious disorder» from Legia Warsaw fans who attended Thursday's night's Europa Conference League match at Villa Park.

Missiles were thrown at police as Legia fans were held in a coach park near Villa Park ahead of their side's fixture against Aston Villa, which the hosts won 2-1.

Villa have made an official complaint to UEFA regarding the behaviour of the Legia supporters.

The match did start on time but no Legia fans were allowed into the stadium ahead of kick-off. Legia accused Villa of reneging on their agreement regarding the away ticket allocation, but Villa said the decision was made over safety concerns.

A statement from West Midlands Police read: «We've charged 46 men over Thursday night's violence outside Villa Park.

»Of those, 43 have been charged with a public order offence, while two have been charged with assaulting police officers and another has been charged with possession of a knife.

«This is after serious disorder outside the stadium during the Aston Villa vs Legia Warsaw game on Thursday night.

»Those charged are aged between 21 and 63, and around 40 are believed to be from Poland. A small number are believed to be UK residents.

«All apart from one of the men is due in court today. He has been bailed to appear at a later date.

»A special court has been set up at Birmingham magistrates and will begin hearing the cases this morning.

«We are continuing