Coins, lighters, flares - Aston Villa fans left 'choking, bruised and burnt by Man City yobs'

Two young Aston Villa supporters "could have been blinded" after flares were allegedly launched into the away section at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Annie Blakeman and her friend Belle both required medical treatment and were “shaken up” after receiving burns to their shoulders and arms, claiming Manchester City supporters hurled blue pyrotechnics from above in the South Stand.

“Sort your s*** security out,” Villa fan Annie vented to Man City’s Twitter account after Sunday’s 3-2 defeat. “Flares thrown at us Villa fans and the police and stewards doing nothing. Absolutely disgusting." Her friend Belle added: “We would have reported it to the police but they didn’t seem too interested in the ground. Completely unacceptable behaviour.”

The two women - both in their 20s - were consoled by another Villa fan at full-time, construction worker Eamonn Doherty. The 47-year-old told : “The two girls outside were really shaken up, terrified. It was so volatile on Sunday, I’d never seen anything like it.

“I’ve got a daughter and if that had happened to her I’d be raging. Honestly, something needs to be done. It’s not on. That flare could have blinded those two girls had it hit them in the face and not on the back. It burnt all of their arms and the top of their shoulders. Annie and Belle were in the bottom tier as well, and it came down from the top tier from the Man City side.”

Eamonn, from Sutton Coldfield, added: “I was in the upper and got chucked out for picking a flare up and attempting to chuck it back down the concourse out of harm’s way. The smoke, honestly, you had kids crying, fans choking. It was just blue smoke everywhere. It was horrible. After getting kicked out I was told you’re supposed to just leave them to