Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur
Luke Davies
Chelsea and Spurs hooligans were previously involved in a horrific day of violence when the sides faced each other back in 2007.
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been rivals for decades, with many pointing to the 1967 FA Cup final between the two London sides as a catalyst for the ill feeling between them.
The game, which Spurs won and was attended by over 100,000 fans, was dubbed the “Cockney Cup Final” and was arguably the start of the infamous rivalry.
Several games between the sides have gone down in folklore, with the so-called “Battle of Stamford Bridge” from 2016 standing out.
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On that occasion, 12 yellow cards were issued after Chelsea drew 2-2 with Spurs despite the away side having led 2-0 in the first half, handing Leicester City the Premier League title at Tottenham’s expense.
Following the full-time whistle, a tunnel brawl occurred with both clubs receiving fines from the Football Association (FA) after admitting three breaches of FA Rule E20 for failing to control their players and/or officials.
Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele was banned for six games for violent conduct during the clash.
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But away from the on-pitch troubles, the sides’ FA Cup quarter-final clash from 2007 will live long in the memory for the wrong reasons.
After a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge, hooligans clashed in Parsons Green, London, outside the White Horse pub – known locally as the “Sloany Pony”.
At the time, the Mirror reported that more than 30 people were arrested as rival groups armed with knives, wooden clubs, and hockey sticks fought outside the pub.
The outlet claimed that seven people were rushed to hospital after sustaining stab wounds to their head or chest, while the Standard reported that the number of victims was at least 10, with 34 arrests made.
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Police were said to have believed the incident was pre-organised after Spurs fans had reportedly ‘ambushed’ Chelsea “in their own backyard”.
One eyewitness told the Standard: "It was pandemonium, I've never seen scenes like it. It was a battlefield in the middle of Fulham's smartest area on a Sunday evening. I was on Parsons Green itself, having a quiet drink with friends - nothing to do with the football.
"Suddenly, there was a lot of loud shouting and screaming, and we saw a huge mob fighting outside the Sloaney Pony, smashing each other with baseball bats and anything they could get their hands on. People were fleeing in all directions; it was chaos.
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"I ran off down a street, but could hear the rioting going on from half a mile away. About five minutes later, the police sirens started and carried on all night."