Sneer and loathing: a day with Leeds and Manchester United fans

There was a deluge in Leeds on Sunday. From the stands of Elland Road any number of objects rained down: coins, bottles, lighters, fireworks, in one instance even a golf ball. They came down at moments of maximum excitement and disappointment, of tension and frustration. Frequently they were aimed at the players of Manchester United.

The 19-year-old forward Anthony Elanga was hit by what appeared to be a coin after celebrating Manchester United’s third goal in the 70th minute. He dropped to his haunches, before being cajoled back into play by his teammates. He went on to score the decisive goal in the match and ran straight over to the corner of the ground where he had been assaulted to celebrate.

Above: Manchester United’s Anthony Elanga is pictured on his knees after being struck by a missile. Right: A steward retrieves a golf ball from the pitch earlier in the match. Below: Elanga scoring the winner and celebrating at the end of the game. All photos by Tom Jenkins.

This was the odd thing about the resumption of the Roses derby. It was another prominent fixture that featured precisely the kind of behaviour no one would condone and yet pretty much everyone at the ground lent into its tribal atmosphere. It exemplified all the problems English football is experiencing regarding disorder, but anyone at Elland Road on Sunday would find it hard to deny the occasion was anything other than exhilarating.

Perhaps the feeling would have been different had not another deluge intervened, the rain hammering down all day in Leeds. There were no groups drinking outside the city centre bars, although police did report “a few incidents” in the city centre before the game. There were no Manchester United fans walking down to the ground