Aston Villa v Celtic arrests confirmed as Police release brand new update
Aston Villa versus Celtic in the Champions League saw 21 arrests made by the West Midlands Police, Chris McLaughlin wrote.
The BBC journalist reported via his personal X account [30 January] that 19 of the 21 arrests, all relating to the European tie on Wednesday 29 January, were Celtic fans.
It is understood that various offences included disorder, possession of drugs and having fraudulent tickets at Villa Park, though the majority of fans were well-behaved.
“West Midlands Police say they made 21 arrests last night relating to Villa v Celtic. 19 of those were Celtic fans. Various offences included disorder, possession of drugs and having fraudulent tickets. Police say overall most fans well behaved,” he said.
Aston Villa v Celtic overshadowed by police arrests
Wednesday night’s clash between the two sides was an absolute classic, with Villa taking a two-goal lead through Morgan Rogers after just five minutes.
Adam Idah scored twice in two minutes to level up the scores before half-time before Ollie Watkins netted, only to miss from the penalty spot seven minutes later.
Rogers completed his well-earned hat-trick at Villa Park, seeing Unai Emery’s side cement their spot in the automatic Champions League spots, but the police arrests certainly put a downer on the classic match.
The clash was always bound to have some sort of controversy due to the supporters because of away fans purchasing tickets amongst the home fans, much like what happened during Manchester United versus Rangers.
The Villans, of course, will not be focusing on the scenes outside of the stadium, with their spot in the next round already confirmed, but it shows just how far fans have to go before being fully trusted.
It is a massive shame but with so much riding on the game, there was always going to be a clash of fans outside of the stadium, before kick-off and after full-time.
However, with so much controversy surrounding fans travelling home and away, not just in European competitions but also in the Premier League and leagues abroad, it is hardly a surprise.
In other Aston Villa news, Lamare Bogarde will be furious with Unai Emery as a new transfer update emerges at Villa Park.
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