Riot police fought running battles with hundreds of England supporters in the centre of Sunderland last night as predictions that the crucial match with Turkey would be marred by violence were realised.
Shortly before kick-off police had made more than 90 arrests, mostly for public order offences, a figure that looked set to rise as hundreds of officers wearing body armour and wielding batons struggled to contain a hardcore of supporters in the streets surrounding the Stadium of Light.
Supporters also invaded the pitch and swamped the England players after Darius Vassell's second-half goal.
There were few reported confrontations between English and Turkish fans and police attempts to keep the rival fans apart before the match appeared to have succeeded, but an hour before kick-off a stand-off had developed between police and England supporters, with some throwing missiles at police lines. Drinkers in two pubs, the Terminus and the Wheatsheaf, were prevented from leaving and potentially joining the violence by police horses blocking the doors.
Coming only five days after supporters fought with riot police in Zurich before England's match against Liechtenstein, yesterday's events confirmed that the national side remain a rallying point for hooligan elements in the English game.
Northumbria police cancelled all leave for this match, the highest risk public-order operation in the north-east in a decade, and more than 600 officers were on duty.
The most serious violence flared when a group of some 200 fans began moving towards the stadium at about 6.15 p.m. Police seemed intent on containing the group and officers in riot gear and dog handlers followed them towards the stadium.
As police reinforcements arrived some of the group charged officers and were repelled with batons. The two sides then fought running battles as police sought to drive the supporters away from the ground.
Earlier in the afternoon there were been sporadic outbreaks of violence as a group of supporters moved through the city centre, some giving Nazi salutes. A Turk filming them was attacked and his camera broken before police moved in to make arrests.
Gokmen Orkmuz, working for the NTV network, said: "They were making Hitler salutes and screaming 'fuck off' at me, and then they were right in my face."
Meanwhile, England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson described the result of the match as "perfect", adding: "I think we deserved it. We played very well in the first half - and maybe even better in the second. I'm very happy for the boys. And now we're top of the group."
Guardian Service
