THE SEARCH was continuing today for the "idiot" who threw a brick at the Barnet team coach as it left Blundell Park following Grimsby Town's 2-1 win on Saturday.
The brick smashed a window of the bus and was condemned by the player manager of the away team, European Champions League winner Edgar Davids, as reported on www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk
Grimsby Town FC's stadium manager Nick Dale said the attack had "put lives at risk".
He said an enquiry would be held to find the person responsible.
It came only two weeks after violence marred the FA Cup clash against Scunthorpe.
Twelve people were arrested on Saturday, November 9, and 21 more in the lead up to and during the replay at Glanford Park last Tuesday.
The damage to the coach on Saturday was revealed by Davids on Twitter after the game, where he posted the picture, right.
Although the manager declined to talk to the press after their defeat, he posed for photographs with fans and signed autographs.
But shortly after leaving the Harrington Street exit, a brick was thrown at the team coach.
Davids posted a photo of the shattered window.
He said: "After a disappointing result and signing autographs for a while we got our window smashed as a thank you."
After fans tweeted Davids, saying "Please don't think all of us GTFC fans are like that", he replied: "Certainly not, always the same small group. Hope we can give you (the real fans) a warm welcome and exit."
The 40-year-old, who was a cup winner with Italian side Juventus and also played for Barcelona and Ajax, graced Blundell Park for the full 90 minutes and added injury time.
Mr Dale was quick to condemn the attack. He said: "It put lives at risk."
He said Grimsby Town FC will help Humberside Police with any investigation, although police have confirmed that no reports had been received of any incidents after the game.
The stadium manager said: "We will be looking into what happened, where it happened and when. We will be contacting Humberside Police.
"The club has no jurisdiction outside of the ground. It will be a matter for Humberside Police to investigate. We will be talking to them."
He added: "It is very disappointing given that Edgar Davids stayed behind after the game to meet fans and sign autographs and then someone has thrown a brick at the coach. It is not a fan, it is some idiot. Whoever it is, is an idiot because it is putting lives at risk."
And readers, posting on www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk, also condemned the incident.
Alstep said: "Football is not to blame, just a few idiots who claim to be supporters.."
SuperTzar said: "More bad publicity for the football club and the town itself.
"We seem to be drifting back to the bad old 80s, as there appears to be more stories on violence and hooliganism than ever before.
"These stories aren't going to help the club grow its fanbase unfortunately, as parents with young children will think twice about taking the kids to BP."
And vxgas added: "I hope the person who threw the brick is caught."
Grimsby Telegraph soccer writer Matt Dannatt, who was at the game, said: "Davids made it clear he was not going to talk to the press. As we were walking out of the stadium, fans were asking if he was going to talk to anyone but all we could say was he wasn't talking to us and so we left.
"Next we heard someone had thrown a brick at the coach – it's such a shame that it could overshadow what was a great game and another good win for the Mariners.
"It is obvious that whoever it was, is not a true Town fan and is no way representative of the majority, who are decent, proper football fans. Unfortunately though, it does put the club in a bad light.
He added: "It is a shame these incidents keep popping up at a time when the club is doing so well on the pitch."
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