Camping chairs, loo roll and bottles were thrown as ticketless Oasis fans ‘brawled’ on ‘Gallagher Hill’ during the Britpop legends’ final concert in Manchester on Sunday (July 20).
Wrapping up their impressive run of five dates at Heaton Park, which was hailed as ‘a homecoming of epic proportions’, the band once again performed in front of nearly 80,000 dedicated fans on their home ground for one last time.
Massive crowds once again gathered on the fringes of Heaton Park to catch a glimpse of the concert from outside the cordoned-off area, with ‘Gallagher Hill’ once again becoming a hotspot for fans.
Gallagher Hill, the notorious viewpoint that previously overlooked the Oasis stage at Heaton Park has taken on a life of its own in recent days. It has become a popular spot for those without tickets wanting to join in the action as they watch from a vantage point from the other side of Heaton Park, but police have been forced to warn fans after repeated attempts to storm the barriers and gain entry.
However, during the concert, witnesses claimed tensions escalated between groups of fans who were involved in ‘football chanting’, reports the Manchester Evening News. There seemed to be clashes between Manchester City and Manchester United fans as well.
Video footage showed loo rolls, bottles and other items being hurled towards either end of the separate groups, with witnesses stating camping chairs were also flung across the grounds. Others could be heard shrieking as they tried to dodge items being thrown in their direction.
A violent fracas erupted between football supporters, with physical confrontations and provocative taunts escalating as bottles and cans were hurled through the air. Amidst the chaos, blue flares pierced the sky.
One witness recounted: “Football fans were chanting, camping chairs were thrown,” followed by a fight. “Then a scrap. Then bottles. One lad got punched in the face.”
Another spectator described the prolonged turmoil: “It was pretty scary. [There were] too many people to intervene.
“It was two massive groups, like hundreds, mainly kids, but some adults in almost lines or clusters opposite each other.”
“They were launching glass bottles at each other and then in the crowd. Loads of people seemed to leave where I was. It went on for about half an hour. [It was] horrible.”