Police appeal after Coventry fans 'assault shop worker' in Droylsden

Police have released an appeal after a group of Coventry fans allegedly assaulted a staff member and stole alcohol from a store in Droylsden. Officers received reports of the incident at a Go Local on Manor Road on Saturday (September 5). The shop owner told the MEN how around 15 visiting fans entered the store after their team's loss against Manchester City at the Etihad stadium. The corner store boss said the rowdy fans made off with around £250 worth of alcohol and other items. The group, described as being 'probably intoxicated from the game', assaulted the member of staff working at the shop when he tried to stop them from leaving, according to the owner. Staff member pushed to floor "They were coming off the coach and just giving all sorts of abuse to the staff member and one of them at first tried walking out with a load of alcohol," the owner said. "The staff member saw him and tried to bring him back in and after he brought him back in there was just all sorts of intimidation and abusive behaviour towards him." "All of them had alcohol in their hands and they were just trying to get out and pushing him about. He tried locking the door and pressing the panic alarm but the police didn't come in time and they started trying to leave." "There's a kid who tried kicking him and then obviously he's tried to push him away and then a few of the older guys started getting on to the staff member and one lad pushed him on the floor. Then they basically all walked off and got on the coach." Owner describes shock and anger "I've been there for a long time and I've never had any problem with away fans or anything. And it's scary because it's grown men as well, these are fathers and grandfathers laughing and just casually walking off without paying and putting things in their pockets as if they're teenage kids," he said. "I was in the shop myself upstairs and I saw what happened. Because he pressed the panic button I got an alert on my phone and I pulled up the CCTV live on my phone. I was just shocked and angry. It's more the behaviour than the money, just the bullying nature of it, it's shocking." "He's defenceless and harmless, he wouldn't hurt a fly, and they've basically just come in and bullied him like they're on a playground without a care in the world. You can't just come in and do that and get away with it." CCTV posted online and club responds The owner posted his CCTV footage online showing the incident and shared it to multiple Facebook groups. The post has since been taken down after some of the mothers of the boys involved in the incident apologised and paid back the shop owner in full. In a statement to CoventryLive, Coventry City FC said: "We are disappointed to learn of the allegations concerning a number of our supporters following an incident while travelling home from Saturday's fixture in Manchester. The club takes such allegations extremely seriously and will work closely with both West Midlands Police and Greater Manchester Police and will provide any assistance and information required to support their investigations." A GMP spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident at Go Local on Manor Road, Droylsden, involving a group of people entering the shop on Saturday 5 September. It was reported a shop worker was assaulted and alcohol was stolen. If you have any information, contact us on 101 or via Live Chat on our website, quoting CRI/06GG/0017732/26. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111."