Guardian:
‘The Football Association is to review the viability of early-evening kick-off times after the violent scenes at Goodison Park on Saturday which saw missiles hurled at opposing players during Everton's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Manchester United. After the game there were clashes between opposing fans which resulted in 33 arrests and left five police officers injured.
‘That will see greater consideration taken before staging 5.30pm kick-offs for potentially volatile fixtures, such as Wayne Rooney's highly emotive return to Everton on Saturday, given that supporters can spend the afternoon drinking in local pubs before attending such games.
‘In the Commons yesterday the sports minister Richard Caborn reiterated the need to examine certain kick-off times. "We may well have to revisit the start-up times of 5.30pm, particularly on matches which clearly have some problems attached to them."
‘Barwick attended the game at Everton, witnessing the missile-throwing at first hand, and was troubled by the violent clashes - apparently pre-planned between rival fans - which occurred about a mile from the stadium afterwards.
‘Merseyside police want to meet the FA to discuss the problems despite having informed the governing body, Everton and the BBC this month that they felt they had the necessary resources to police Saturday's fixture effectively at the later kick-off time.
‘The BBC is understood to be angry that the finger of blame has been pointed at the corporation over the scheduling of the game in its prime-time early-evening slot. Saturday tea-time kick-offs are not a new phenomenon, with Sky broadcasting a Premiership match at that time every week, and the BBC has moved other games to an earlier slot on police advice. "The final decision quite rightly lies with the police and we implicitly respect that," said a BBC spokeswoman. Sky said it was purely a matter for the football authorities.’
Independent:
‘Everton insisted yesterday that Merseyside Police always had the right of veto over the controversial 5.30pm kick-off time for Saturday's FA Cup tie with Manchester United.
‘The decision to schedule the game for early evening has been criticised and blamed partly for the street violence which followed the match. Five police were hurt and 33 people were arrested after opposing fans clashed in the Everton Valley district of Liverpool.
‘Ian Ross, Everton's director of communications, said: "If the police, at any point, believe that they cannot safely police a football match they can object to a kick-off time and have it moved.
‘"The argument that we were pushing for a 5.30 kick-off for the TV fee is irrelevant. We would still have got the same fee for a lunchtime kick-off or a Sunday game. Because of the nature of the match, it would have been screened at some time."
‘Brian Barwick, the Football Association's chief executive, said he was determined to root out the "mindless individuals" involved in the violence, and the FA would give "careful consideration" to future kick-off times.’
James Lawton in the Indie on the behaviour of the Everton supporters:
‘Amid a barrage of hostile e-mails, and charges, all in one sentence, of being a pimp, whore and rent boy for Manchester United - something it would be nice to think caused a small ripple of surprise at Old Trafford - it was reassuring to receive one message from an Everton season-ticket holder of 30 years.
‘He said that he found the atmosphere at Goodison Park on Saturday "so sinister" he much regretted taking his young son along. He said that apart from some difficulty in explaining how it was that so many grown men and women leapt to their feet, hissing and yelling profanities whenever Wayne Rooney touched the ball, there was also the problem of a history lesson. This was translating the words of that notorious song which relies heavily on the lines, "Who's that lying on the runway, who's that dying in the snow?"
‘No one is saying some Everton fans have a monopoly on bad behaviour, especially when they are in the company of some of those from Manchester United, but the point here was that it just wasn't good enough for a proud old club to assign all the problems to a mindless one per cent. Bigotry in a particularly unpleasant form, believe me and the Everton loyalist, was operating on a much wider front.’
The Guardian report that Everton may be fined £50,000:
‘Everton are braced for a fine of up to £50,000 from the Football Association after objects were flung at Manchester United players during Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie, when the visiting goalkeeper Roy Carroll admitted that he feared for his safety after being struck by a coin.
‘The match referee Rob Styles confirmed that he had included three separate incidents in his match report, filed to Soho Square yesterday, detailing missiles hurled at United players.
‘Carroll was struck by a coin thrown from the Gwladys Street end, with Merseyside Police subsequently making 33 arrests in post-match clashes - believed to have been pre-arranged - between rival supporters, prompting the sports minister Richard Caborn to question the logic in staging early evening kickoffs for potentially volatile fixtures.
‘The referee confirmed that Carroll said he had feared for his safety, with Styles also handing a mobile telephone - which had been flung on to the playing area - to the fourth official Mark Clattenburg. Much of the spite was aimed at the returning Wayne Rooney and objects were thrown at the teenager, along with a plastic cola bottle aimed at Paul Scholes. Two arrests were made at the time.’
And this hysterical piece from the Echo, they’ll be blaming Chelsea by the end of the week:
‘It was described as the worst football violence ever to take place in Merseyside - and the most sustained attack on Liverpool's police since the Toxteth riots more than 20 years ago. If the 500 officers on duty had any doubts there would be trouble following Saturday's match then the sight of already-bloodied Manchester United fans getting off the train at Lime Street just hours before the game surely removed them.
‘This was a flashback to the 1970s with a hardcore of United fans getting the "ordinary" train to try and stay out of the way of police and with one thing in mind - causing mayhem. But Merseyside police had already been informed by officers in Manchester that around 100 people, who appeared to be United supporters, were involved in scuffles at Piccadilly Station as they crossed paths with Leeds United fans.
‘A handful of people were arrested at the scene and the remaining crowd boarded the lunchtime train to Liverpool where they carried on drinking. Chief inspector Chris Armitt, who was commanding the operation, said: "Before they arrived in Liverpool, we were aware of problems and as we escorted them to Goodison officers wore protective clothing. We knew we were going to get problem supporters but they were taken to Goodison without incident."
’However, four hours later, the United fans were met with a torrent of bricks and bottles as they were escorted back to Lime Street along Everton Valley and Scotland Road. Despite there being around 35 police vans just yards away, dozens of trained police dogs and the force helicopter hovering above, the hooligans were not put off.
‘How no-one was seriously hurt is a mystery. The assault was as ferocious and sustained as anything seen in Liverpool for decades. Chief Insp Armitt said: "Around 300 rival supporters appeared and there was a violent and large-scale confrontation. Officers intervened and came under attack. The rival fans were ripping up fences and bricks and throwing them at the crowd. These people who attach themselves to football clubs are not fans."
‘Chief Insp Armitt added: " Obviously it was a slow process to move the crowd along Scotland Road and the bombardment lasted for a full hour. I have been in this job for some time and I can say it was the worst football-related violence ever seen in Liverpool."