Nine people have been charged in connection with trouble at yesterday's Manchester football derby, Greater Manchester police said today.
Two of the charges are for on-pitch encroachment while another was for racial abuse in a match which United defeated City 3-2 via a stoppage-time Robin van Persie winner.
United defender Rio Ferdinand was left with blood gushing from above his eye after he was struck by a coin thrown from City supporters during the celebrations which followed Van Persie's strike. Police are still hunting for the person who threw the coin.
A 21-year-old City fan then invaded the pitch to confront the former England captain before City goalkeeper Joe Hart intervened.
Wayne Rooney, who scored United's opening two goals, was also pelted with objects when he took a corner in the second-half of a pulsating contest.
Ferdinand played down the incident on Twitter last night but City apologised to the 34-year-old for the behaviour of some of their supporters.
The following people were charged:
- Peter Harrison, 30, of Springfield Road, Kearsley, Bolton, was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence.
- Matthew Stott, 21, of Southfields, Knutsford, and Christopher Johnson, 52, of Ancoats Lane, Alderley Edge, were charged with pitch encroachment.
- Warren Singh, 19, of Oakdale Drive, Heald Green, Stockport, was charged with a public order offence.
- Sam Weatherby, 21, of Grant Street, Farnworth, Bolton, and Philip O'Leary, 24, of Heysbank Road, Disley, Stockport, were each charged with breaching football banning orders.
- Christopher O'Neil, 21, of Swainsthorpe Drive, Manchester, Andrew Martin, 20, of Northdale Drive, and Nicholas Morley, 21, of Chapel Lane, both Blackley, were all charged with being drunk and disorderly.
- All are due before Manchester City Magistrates' Court on January 4.
- Four other arrests were made.
- A 50-year-old man arrested for ticket touting was released without charge, a 45-year-old man was summonsed over a racially aggravated public order offence, an 18-year-old woman was cautioned for being drunk and disorderly and a 33-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of possessing a class A drug.
Football Association chairman David Bernsteing has condemned the antics as "deplorable" and referred to a "difficult social problem" which is marring English football.
He told Sky Sports News: "It is deplorable to see those incidents and to see Rio Ferdinand with blood on his face is absolutely terrible.
"I think it's disturbing that we're seeing a recurrence of these types of incidents. We've had racial abuse issues, the odd pitch incursion, things being thrown at players - it's very unacceptable and has to be dealt with severely."
"When you think of the millions watching football every week, or involved in football, to see it hijacked by these incidents is awful so we have to deal with it in the strongest way we can.
"It's a difficult social problem. I think there's a copycat thing: something happens and other people copy it and this sort of thing can spiral."