A man has been arrested at Bristol Airport in connection with a violent incident following an amateur football match that left a man with “life-changing injuries”. The 19-year-old from Llanrumney, Cardiff, was apprehended at the airport on Monday, October 21 and returned to Cardiff for questioning, South Wales Police has said.
Two other men have already been charged in relation to the alleged incident outside the Eastern Leisure Centre in Llanrumney earlier this month. Joel Collins, 32, one of the victims of the attack, had to undergo knee surgery as a result of the incident.
Mr Collins’ team, Avenue Hotspur FC, based in Ely, had just lost a Cardiff and District Football League division one match to Llanrumney Athletic at the leisure centre before the alleged violence erupted. Witnesses told the BBC that a group attacked some of the Avenue Hotspur players as they left the changing room, using various weapons including a baseball bat.
A 19-year-old suspect remains in custody and an investigation is ongoing. A police spokesperson said they were called to a disturbance outside Eastern Leisure Centre shortly after 4pm on October 12.
They reported several assaults, including one on a 32-year-old man from Ely who suffered a “life-changing injury”, and damage to a vehicle. Two other men – Benjamin Dean, 28, from Trowbridge, and Ryan Rees, 22, from Llanrumney – have been charged with offences, including violent disorder, linked to the incident.
Both men have been held in custody after appearing at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on October 16. The police are urging anyone with information or footage to come forward.