Children traumatised as Arsenal fan gets beaten up at Newcastle match

Some shocking scenes were witnessed in the stands at St James' Park on Sunday as Newcastle lost to Arsenal. A Gunners fan was somehow seated at the home end, and was beaten up by home fans, leaving some children traumatised.

Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media, wherein an Arsenal fan could be seen being mobbed by fans in black and white. The Gunners were travelling to the north east to keep their Premier League title hopes alive, and many of their fans made the journey with them. However, for some reason, one Arsenal fan was not seated among his peers. Instead, he was embedded in a sea of home fans high up at the Milburn Stand.

It is clear in the videos that his presence was not welcomed by the angry home supporters, especially as Mikel Arteta's men clinched a 2-0 victory. The battle on the pitch was intense, but the violence really broke out in the stands.

The Arsenal fan was seen being tackled to the ground before managing to get back up on his feet. The people around him could be heard shouting at him to "get out."

He continued to argue with some of the Newcatle fans around him before he was tackled from behind once more. The voices of children could be heard calling out for their parents in the background in the middle of all the commotion. Stewards eventually came over to the site of the altercation, but further videos showed the Arsenal fan being escorted away by Newcastle fans instead of the stewards.

The incident drew criticism from fans, who complained that the stewards at the venue are often too busy trying to watch the games or appear to be too young or incapable of defusing tense situations.

Newcastle fans justify their actions

The initial reaction of many viewers of the video would be to feel sorry for the Arsenal fan, who was clearly outnumbered and in a vulnerable position. However, Twitter account Newcastle United FC Fans explained the situation, claiming that it was the Arsenal fan who was being disruptive. It was also claimed that he was the one who provoked the home fans around him. "The Arsenal fan was a disgrace and throwing bottles around," said the account.

They also confirmed that "The bairns (children) who witnessed this, an Arsenal supporter in the nufc family stand, have been left traumatised."

In further tweets, the Gunners fan is alleged to have been goading the home fans and celebrating as Arsenal scored goals via Martin Odegaard and later an own goal by Fabian Schar. The stewards were reportedly unable to control his behaviour, leading those seated nearby to become agitated.

One child has even reportedly vowed never to come and watch a match at the stadium again due to the traumatic brawl that he witnessed.

A witness later tweeted that the Arsenal fan was brought in by a friend who happened to be a Newcastle season ticket holder. The woman claimed that her 13-year-old son was caught in the middle of the chaos, but is luckily unhurt. However, she says that the Arsenal fan, who was a big man, started the fight by punching a Newcastle fan who was there with his two kids. This is why the people around them jumped in to help the dad, whose children witnessed the whole thing.

She added that it was indeed a pair of Newcastle fans who escorted the Arsenal fan to the police. The alleged "friend" has reportedly denied knowing the perpetrator when he was questioned by the authorities.

Meanwhile, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard thanked the travelling fans by going on a video call with them as they travelled home by bus after the match.