GUNMOBHALTS FOOTIEMATCH; League Derby hit by touchline brawl.

Byline: BEN SCHOFIELD

A GUN-TOTING mob brawled on the touchline of an amateur league football match.

The Catholic Men's Society (CMS) league game in Speke was abandoned after just 15 minutes as violence erupted.

One local woman said four gunshots were fired sending the terrified crowd fleeing - though police searches found no evidence of it. Another said more than a dozen thugs piled into the fight.

The tie last Saturday was a CMS league match between Speke rivals Credit Union and Western Speke.

The woman, who is close to one of teams, said both had been eagerly looking forward to the tie.

But she told the ECHO: "It's nothing to do with football, it's the crowd. One of the Credit Union players came with a gang and they were quite obvious. They're just thugs these people.

"One of the Western Speke players started arguing with them asking them to leave. They went to have a 'straightener' and someone came out with this gun. Four shotswere fired and then people ran around.

"This feud has been going on for two years and lives are in danger."

The witness said the gang pulled up in three Land Rovers, poured out of the vehicles and started beating their opponents with clubs and metal bars.

When the match was abandoned Western Speke were 1-0 ahead.

A match official said: "It was an aggressive brawl. I didn't see how it started. There was quite a few more than a dozen involved.

"It wasn't people watching the match, they just used it as an excuse - two rival gangs from Speke.

"The referee said 'fair dos' and picked the ball up and went home.

"People knowwhat goes on the estate andwhat goes on stays on the estate and gets dealt with by people in Speke, whether it's good or bad."

Both teams have had to send reports to CMS bosses and will appear in front of a disciplinary hearing on Thursday.

A police spokesman said: "Merseyside Police is investigating reports of disorder at the Austin Rawlinson Sports Centre in Speke on Saturday afternoon.

"Officers were called following an alleged incident at around 3pm in which there was a verbal altercation between two men followed by damage being caused to one of the men''s cars.

"During the altercation it has been alleged that a weapon was produced.

"The police have not received any reports of any shots being fired and, during a thorough search of the area around the sports centre, no evidence of the weapon or a firearm discharge was found."

Detectives say it was a targeted attack. Anyonewho witnessed it should call Admiral Street CID on 0151 777 5364 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.