Violence erupts at Murrayfield Oasis concert

Published on Thursday 18 June 2009 10:34

ONE of Edinburgh's highest profile events of the year was marred by violence when a man was badly beaten up at the Oasis concert at Murrayfield.

The fan, in his 30s, was set upon by five men before the band had even taken to the stage.

It is understood an alcohol-fuelled scuffle broke out as support act Kasabian were playing, which led to the man being savagely beaten to the ground where he was repeatedly punched and kicked. Eye-witnesses said it was left to other members of the crowd to break the fight up before he was wheeled away on a stretcher with blood everywhere.

One eye-witness told the Evening News: "I didn't see how it started but there were about six guys, one guy was lying on the floor and others were piling on. There were two women stewards, they were trying to protect him but they weren't pulling the guys off him.

"It took about four or five minutes before the rest of the stewards arrived, but it was members of the crowd that broke the fight up.

"I think he might have been unconscious, though he was conscious when he was taken away on a stretcher after about 10 minutes of lying on the floor.

"He had a lot of cuts and his shirt was off. The crowd nearby were booing the guys that were kicking him."

Jennifer Patterson, another woman who was at the gig, said security staff simply watched as the fight escalated.

She said: "He was unconscious and bleeding on the ground for ten minutes and security just stood and did nothing.

"I've no idea how it started, there were pint glasses being thrown in the air then all of a sudden two men started going at it.

"Before I knew there were four or five guys beating him while he was on the floor.

"The main culprit who was putting the boot in just walked away – it's a disgrace."

Trouble had been brewing as tens of thousands arrived in the city, including several thousand from Glasgow.

Minor disturbances were reported throughout the city centre.

Ian Barclay, 36, a shop manager who lives in Haymarket, said: "There were folk spewing up in the street by the afternoon, you could just tell there was going to be at least some trouble. I saw one guy passed out on a wall near Morrison Street at about 4pm with a sky-blue Oasis T-shirt on."

A spokesman for G4S Events, said the company was investigating an alleged incident at the concert.

And a spokesman for Scottish Rugby said: "Safety is of paramount importance."

A police spokeswoman said there had been eight arrests in and around the ground yesterday evening, but none is thought to be in connection with the incident. There were also two reports of assaults and one person was ejected.