Four Arsenal fans arrested at Anfield over city-centre murder investigation
The night before Arsenal faced Liverpool at Anfield this weekend, it seems that a London scaffolder called Stuart Smith was in Liverpool City Centre with a local girl when he was brutally attacked by a bunch of Arsenal supporters outside the Chameleon club in Back Colquitt Street. The victim was taken to the Royal Hospital but died soon after his arrival.
His female companion, Sophie Cowan, couldn’t believe that no-one came to rescue Mr Smith while he was being set upon. Her father told the press: “She was screaming for someone to help Stuart while he was being attacked.
“I can’t believe no-one came to help. They just let it happen. How can people stand by while this is being done to another human being?”
The attackers escaped that night but after scrutinising city-centre CCTV cameras the police managed to get hold of pictures of the assailants, and after co-ordinating with London police – football intelligence officers – who had travelled up to Liverpool with the fans, and they were on the lookout during the game.
When they were sure of their targets the police moved in and arrested the four Arsenal fans in the away section of the crowd. A police spokesman said: “Merseyside Police can confirm that the arrests of the men yesterday (Sunday September 2) in relation to this matter took place inside Anfield during the Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC football match.
“The men, aged 39, 39, 33 and 27 who are all from the London area, are still being questioned by detectives and remain in custody at this time.”
Today three of those arrested have now been formally charged with murder, and we are awaiting further news of the reasons for the attack….
This has nothing to do with arsenal football they were obviously stupid idiots please concentrate on the football side Of things
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around. But very sad and pathetic. Gang bashing and no one came to his aid when there seems to have been plenty of people around capable of stepping in. Very sad indictment on modern society.
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This story has no place on this good website for real fans.
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Has nothing to do with our club. Unfortunately, some people never change.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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WOW! im still shocked abut our win at atfield.it just feels so good! i was one of the diaby doubters.not because i dont rate him.i just didn’t trust how fragile he was..but hey if van persie played a whole season, this guy will have no excuse! and for all of you hating on ramsey, he is playing well. he has similar potential to wilshere if not less. he needs time and he is definatly a good team player! Also giroud will come good.he gets into very good positions so he will soon score.its not a question about if he will but when he will!! keep the faith gooners! ohh and also why didnt any1 mention mannone? quite a decent 3rd choice goalie dont u think?
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This is a apt article for any fan of the beautiful game …. Unfortunate incident and a harsh reminder than emotions should be curbed when follow-ship crosses sanity!!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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it is something to do with our club. Our fans took a step too far in the passion/hooliganism and it is truly disgraceful. I wish nothing like that should happen, especially in the name of the beautiful game
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How disgusting! Shame on those four tools!
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Humans are just savages these days!!!
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This story has nothing to do with our great football club. These thugs don’t change and should not be allowed near a football stadium.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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Shameful, 4 cowards with beer muscles and a low IQ no doubt.
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pathetic low life hooligans
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DISGRACEFUL.THESE THUGS SHOUL NOT BE GIVEN PUBLICETY
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Wow, we should have our own version of green street. People like them make the rest of the supporters look like thugs.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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DISGRACEFUL.
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ABSALOUTELY DISGRACEFUL
It shoulnt really be on this site in fairness as it has nothing to do with football and rather a case that 4 fans were arrested at the game
either way I hope they get what they deserve and my thoughts go out to the guys family and friends
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DISGRACEFUL.AND THESE THUGS SHOULD NOT GET PUBLICITY.
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I can’t believe this. anyway thank GOD we still have some true gooners
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No one knows why this happened and it should not be assumed that the arrested men acted out of football hooliganism. They certainly may have committed murder but why is it being written about on a football cite. Doesn’t belong here!
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no matter what the reason why it kicked off… 4 v 1 is cowardly enough… so much for acting as representative of the club whilst wearing the colours.. hope they get life-time bans.
Yep, innocent until proven guilty but there has to be enough evidence, beyond reasonable doubt for the CPS to press charges.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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My thoughts go out to the family
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@ Arseniel
You are SO correct! That is exactly what is going through my head, just because they may have been found out to be Arsenal supporters it is assumed that it was football hooliganism… I recon it probably has nothing to do with football at all!
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This story should not be covered on a ‘fan’ driven website for Arsenal FC, it has absolutely nothing to do with the club, in my opinion this article needs to be removed by the writer (this request will probably mean that my post is not published)but I’m posting it anyway hoping that the writer gets to see it… Please cover ‘football’ related subjects in future posts, not bar brawls and street fights.
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As someone who knows the 4 who have average working jobs this is not as it was portrayed. Those people slating them who have no knowledge of the incident are just as bad making assumptions of something they know nothing about.
Would appreciate if this post was moderated unlike my last one
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Whats MORE shocking is that some of the idiots who call themselves AFC fans on this chat think this has nothing to do with AFC!!! Shame on you!! A man, a human being – Stuart Smith – has lost his life.
C’mon people the world doesn’t revolve around AFC or Football only, stop being pompous stupid a$$ fools.
All that we AFC fans had to do was just say, Condolences to the Smith family & R.I.P Stuart Smith.
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How can people say this story doesn’t belong on this site? Ultimately it may turn out to have nothing to do with football, but the arrests were made in the stadium and football intelligence officers helped identify the men. It’s tragic, but I think it’s more than fair for this site to post a brief article on it. They haven’t blown things out of proportion and written some expansive piece on hooliganism and drawn all sorts of unfounded conclusions. It’s pretty much just the facts.
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my condolences to his family.the fans on this site should show more respect.remember u r a human before anything else..
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i ll say some fans
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Police are increasingly using blogs, forums and social media to investigate and find culprits of illegal activity (remember last years’ riots), so no problems with this article appearing on this site. As anon posted, he claims to know the 4 guys, so this is further evidence to support publication of this news in the hope of seeking the truth. (You never know who posts on these sites)
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R.I.P dude i dont have a clue what it was about or what started it but whatever it was a human being lost he’s life and it shouldnt happen it kinda shocks me my missus is a liverpoo supporter i know its a different situation but still
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@ anon. At the end of the day someone is DEAD and IF ur mates were the perps they need to get Life period. What reason cld they possibly have to beat someone to death? Even if the dead guy was a murderer rapist child molester who gave ur mates the right to dole out justice? Especially while wearing ARSENAL shirts (I assume they were as the police had little problem finding them) yes we can all find ourselves in tricky situations but y on earth still attend the game like nothing had happened? They deserve to get nicked for that reason alone!
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In our comments lets be mindful that we are talking about some fools killing another human being… not a chicken. Someone’s loved one. Arguing about the appropraiteness or otherwise of the post on this site is in itself inappropriate. May the soul of the departed rest in peace. And may his family find the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss… Amen
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Some people on this site really do make me wonder whats going on in the world. This is news whether a fan site or not it regards Arsenal fans and Arsenal football club as the accused are traveling fans. This cowardly act that needs 4 men against one should be discussed as we as TRUE football fans need to make sure this sort of thing does not happen again. The 80′s are over, Football Factory may be enjoyable to watch but acting like apes in the street trying to act hard does not need to go this far. RIP to the person i question and i hope that most have thoughts for his family after this terrible incident.
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People its worth remembering a human being has lost there life!!!!! RIP Mr Smith, thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. And again we dont know the facts yet so yes innocent until proven guilty, but you all seem to have made your mind’s up. Dont believe everything you read! May the culprit or culprits be found guilty there’s no telling if all four are responsible. Shame on the mindless and wreckless caveman that dont value life.
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Scum of the earth. No fans like these at my football club. We’re turning into scummy Millwall fans. F*** off the lot of ye.
Gooners til I die!
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Life is sacred. No matter what happended no man has d right 2 take another’s life.is pathetic, though d news came after our first victory.my condolence 2 d departed.
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this is an absolute disgrace , and all in the name of football . where is this going to end ? , those of you who say this has nothing to do with our club are as big of fools as those who done this afwul act . of cocurse this has everything to do with our club . that poor man would not have been attacked by these murderers unless it was hatred , yes hatred , our club is as bad as any other club in the world for violence and hate crimes . i noticed that during the transfer window debates the tone of hundreds of posts were frightening . many people who loved van persie up to a few short weeks ago now hate the man with a vengance , this is not sport , this is not football . this is where the hatred stems from , why cant people live and let live , if any player wants to move on then why not let them move on ?.football is only a game at the end of the day , that unfortunate liverpool fan murdered in his own city would be alive today if it was not for football hatred .for the moment i am ashamed to say that i am an arsenal fan , yes indeed i am , while we all have different opinions on here it seems to me that a lot of people get very personal when their opinion does not match that of somebody elses .shame shame shame on hatred , there is no place for it in football , there is no place for it in sport , there is no place for it at arsenal and there is certainally no place for it in my life .the macho men of this club who terrorise opposing fans should have a good look at themselves and see what is going on around them , each and every club are equally involved and it is high time something was done to stop this animal behaviour .rest in peace young liverpool man , i hope you did not die in vain and i hope whoever done this will be charged and convicted and jailed for the rest of their lives , nothing but pure scum .
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My deepest condolences to stuart’s family. Anon 4 vs 1 and you are asking us not to judge? If you have any sense of decency and respect for a human life, you will not even try to justify a senseless beating to death. 4 on 1 sounds very much like 4 cowards trying to act macho when in actual fact when each of the 4 is confronted with a 1 on 1 situation, will probably hide. Shame on you and your murderer friends. One more thing, act like a true arsenal football fan. In times like these, we stand united with the victim’s family not cowardly aggressors.
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Story has been mistold and miss sold, yes its murder but whos to say they have the right 3 culprits. As for hooliganism, please…. serious fights and assualts happen every day and night in every possible location. Wait for case to go to court and judge them after. To many people with an oppinion, the same people that think they can run the club better. Do yourselfs a favour and keep them to yourself
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Like I said Richard very easy to judge from behind a computer, you dont know the facts all you know is what you read. just wait and see the outcome dont assume everyone is guilty because its in the news. Once again condolences to Mr Smith and his Family, hope justice is served for his little daughters sake.
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I would just like to point out that stu was not a Liverpool fan, he was in town for one night visiting his girl. To the fella that claims to know the absolute disgraces that kicked my mate to death; I hope they rot in hell and I hope YOU lead a very sad and lonely life, feeding off the back of murdering scum. Good night, god bless stu. Summers angel <3xxxx
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My condolences to the family of Stuart smith. A man who was in Liverpool to cheat on his girlfriend with a child with another woman. My heart goes out to both ladies. Stuart begged to start the fight and threw the punch to start it after being thrown out of a bar for harassing members of the group he was trying to fight with. He was not battered, he was punched once and then was kicked once. I’m sorry he’s dead but I’m more sorry for the arsenal fans who went to watch a game and 2 of the men who’s lives are ruined did absolutely nothing. By the way they are not stupid but you all are for judging when you know nothing but what the media tell you.
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Hi all,
Anon, are you proud to call these guys your mates.
There was four of them in the group that attacked Stuart Smith, and you are more sorry
for your two friends who as you like to put it ( went to watch a game and 2 of the men who’s lives are ruined did absolutely nothing ).
What do you mean did absolutely nothing?
They done absolutely nothing to help the other two kill Stuart Smith, or they done absolutely nothing to help Stuart Smith from being attacked by the other two?
I mean, if they wasn’t part of the four at the crime scene then i understand . . .
Also, we’re stupid for judging from what the media tell us? You said in an earlier post that your info has come direct from your murdering friends family . . .
I guess you could describe a punch and a kick as not getting battered, but you yourself cant honestly believe that was all that happened.
You sound like a fool, no wonder you have friends like that, i truly hope their lives are ruined.
STUART SMITH – R.I.P
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To the above that are making assumptions about poor Stuart Smith that was so brutally murdered by four men. Until you know the facts (which you don’t) I would wait for the court case and you will see that Smith was the instigator in all this I can state this categorically as I have the statements and cctv, also you gooners that think they were shirted up with club colours and this was all about football, your so wrong. Btw it was one punch one kick not stomped to death as reported. Also as I stated there was 1 punch 1 kick, the other two males did everything they could to stop it.
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They did nothing to stop it. They pushed Sophie over and Killed him then jumped into a taxi like nothing had happened????
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you have no idea
let him RIP
@ anon
we will see, and what you blab to have!!!!
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Joseph Walker all charges dropped. Innocent.
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@Anon, you must be a right mug and I would guess sleeping with one of those scum, obviously you don’t know ur so called mates very well. Who is gonna believe four men fighting one man and only one punch and a kick connected?? If you have statements and CCTV, you will know that to charge persons with murder they have to have certain evidence for the case to even go to court. Which it is……..they deserve everything they get, hopefully a big long sentence…..mindless violence, shame on you for condoning a murder! nothing good will come to you.
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Hi. Sorry to bring this up but I have been sitting it the court case all week. Out of 20 witnesses at least 15 say mr smith was the aggressor all the way. He shouted racist insults when the defendants were walking away and had to be held back by his girlfriend and others. His girlfriend also admitted one the arsenal fans helped her at her request hold back mr smith as he fought to try and hurt the black defendants. It’s seems mr smith also committed an indecent assault on one witness prior to him attacking the defendants. I don’t like to speak ill of the dead as he certainly did not deserve that but it was one kick and one punch in retaliation to his punch, so you do the maths. At the end of the day I feel sorry for the mother of his kid and his family who have had to sit and listen to all this from loads of people and if he had not been cheating on his beautiful woman none of this would have happened. The truth always comes out in the end.
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Wow. Did anyone know that the lovely mr smith (deceased) is a proper aggressive racist who makes a habit of starting fights in public with black people. In fact according to the judge on the case of his murder he had to be held back by four policemen while he tried to attack a large crowd of people blacks mostly and calling them Zulus. The police sent his off once but he returned to start again!! He also had repeated offences of affray but sometimes with white people so he is not all bad. Makes me wonder what some one expects from life when you live it picking on other people in a violent fashion. Personally I blame the parents, mr smith might have been alive today if he had some better parental guidance. I feel so sorry for the black guy that is sitting waiting to hear if he has a future when he tried to stop a violent criminal like smith getting hurt or hurting anyone. Should of ignored the begging bit on the side (sorry alleged girlfriend) and walked away.
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Arse is an appropriate user name ….This is ridiculous…. how dare you blame his parents. A man is dead.
I would also just like to point out that one of stuarts best friends is mixed race. Therefore the race card is completely unjustified.
I am not defending the racial abuse however would like to point out that people use the first thing that comes to mind when arguing. I.E calling someone a ‘fat *******’ while arguing does not mean that you hate all fat people.
All of that is irrelevant as a man is dead, someones son and dad. No matter what, he did not deserve to die.
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Oh dear KT how dare I? Like so. In 2001 when he was abusing a mixed crowd of black and whites and called them Zulus (and was convicted for it) while the police were holding him back, did he not learn his lesson or was racism what his parents bred in him even back then cos its not something you learn from having a mixed race friend. In fact why don’t you ask this friend how he feels and what he would of done if smith (as a larger stranger) had been coming at him with Do let me know his response won’t you?
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As I said… the racism was not my main concern. And I also stated that I was NOT defending any form of racism.
You blaming his parents was my concern.
They have lost a son… they are having to deal with that at the moment. They dont need people like you making implications that they are someway to blame for his death. Its vile.
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The racism is my main concern as that’s what caused this along with pure aggressive behavior and a man who is desperate to fight. If he did not learn this from his parents where do you suggest it came from? id love a response that actually answers my question. Can’t have been school, prison or from his mates so unless you are suggesting its from his black friend I am at a loss and still blame the parents of maybe just one of them.
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At Anon or arse or maybe your the same person….lol you cant seriously believe what you wrote….yours is a serious case of not taking responsibility…..the person you are defending has obviously seen you coming and done you up like a kipper. So you are saying that because Stuart Smith was racially abusing them, he deserved to be stamped on in the face and murdered by middle aged men who were known by police, thats how the police found them, because they had form for assualt and football hooliganism.The man who was alleged to stamp on him, does not work….sure you said he was a normal working guy and he also has more than one girlfriend, as I know one of them well, maybe you should keep your mouth shut in future, as you are obviously lacking in self esteem to defend and stand by an animal like that…….I feel sorry for you.Jusice will prevail!!!
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@ Sally man. No you said that. I said he is a racist and must of learned it from somewhere. Sorry what stamp? One kick one punch. Don’t believe the papers. Do what I do I did. Get the facts. Good luck.
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Anon/arse your not getting it are you. Him being a racist is irrelevant, they killed a man. I notice you have chosen to ignore the other facts……you also claimed Stuart Smith was of bad character because he had cheated on his girlfriend? so has one of the defendants……I dont think you have any sensible points to make. The papers can say whatever, the facts are still the same lady. Negativity breeds negativity and im sure you will be there as you claim to see them go down
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Not guilty. Sorry can’t hear ya.
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arsehole……………………….There are more ways than one to skin a cat……………
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not guilty,,,,,,,,,,, “what a joke”…….only in Liverpool………….
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Tragic, the law is an arse just like you!!! There in no justice in this system. Think you got away with murder…..Karma, always gets his man!!!!
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Just to quieten you all. Only one man was guilty of responding to Stuart’s grievience what ever it was. I don’t think he was a racist, just an aggressive drunk who died in a freak accident by one kick. The guy who accidentally killed him is still awaiting to hear what his fate is. The others, one tries to stop Stuart and his owns mates from fighting and for that spent 6 months inside. Yes he slagged Stuart off after but Stu would of done the same and no one expects a fighter to die from a broken jaw! The other punched Stuart in retaliation and then walked away. I don’t understand why you all want to blame someone when Stuart would of some the same anyway……weird.
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By the way death threats online is a bit stupid no matter how hard you think you are.
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