Football Hooligans Run Riot at The Den Again!
Hooliganism Returns to Haunt English Football!
Billionaire Ethan Yu Nearly Killed in Terrifying Crowd Violence!
...
By the following morning, newspapers and television stations across Europe were carrying the story, with Ethan's involvement ensuring that the incident attracted attention far beyond the world of football.
Major financial publications and several of the world's most respected newspapers also reported on the attack.
Sky Sports devoted an entire programme to the incident, while publications such as The Times carried it on their front pages, examining both what had happened and the deeper causes behind Millwall's long-standing problems with hooliganism.
On the night of the match, Millwall held a press conference to announce the extent of their players' injuries.
The club claimed that New Manchester United's players had started the violence on the pitch and that the confrontation had subsequently descended into a mass brawl.
They even released a list of their injured players, suggesting that the Red Rebels had deliberately set out to hurt them.
New Manchester United responded almost immediately with a press conference of their own.
The club announced that Ethan Yu was no longer in critical condition, but that his injuries remained serious and he had yet to regain consciousness.
He was being taken back to Manchester overnight, where Professor Fryer would oversee his treatment. The club's priority was to ensure that Ethan suffered no lasting complications, and they made it clear that if he did, they would pursue Millwall for everything they were worth.
At the same time, Sky Sports produced extensive footage supporting New Manchester United's version of events.
The recordings clearly showed that Millwall hooligans in the stands had started the trouble and that Ethan had been seriously injured while trying to protect other supporters.
More damning still was what happened afterwards.
A large number of Millwall supporters had left their own section and surged towards the area occupied by the travelling Red Rebels.
Sky Sports also interviewed one of the stewards who had been working at The Den that evening.
Still visibly shaken, he admitted that incidents of intimidation and violence were hardly unusual there.
Away supporters were often forced to endure abuse in silence. A handful of offenders might be arrested afterwards, but more often than not, that was the end of the matter.
The programme also interviewed Mr and Mrs Jackson.
They gave a detailed account of what had happened, with Mrs Jackson particularly emotional as she described the moment Ethan had thrown himself over her and her child.
Had he not done so, she said, she dreaded to imagine what might have happened to them.
Sky Sports then turned its attention to the confrontation on the pitch.
Fortunately for the Red Rebels, the television footage captured the moments immediately before Curtis charged towards Cahill and the other Millwall players.
Cahill and several of his teammates had been moving towards the touchline, apparently trying to see what was happening in the stands. Their aggressive expressions and body language made it look as though they were heading straight towards the New Manchester United players.
Combined with the chaos unfolding behind them, it supported the argument that Curtis and his teammates had believed they were about to be attacked and had reacted accordingly.
Online, public opinion was overwhelmingly in New Manchester United's favour.
Millwall's reputation for hooliganism was already notorious.
So was the atmosphere at The Den.
Now that another major incident had taken place, supporters across the country, whether they had any connection to the Red Rebels or not, condemned Millwall.
Many argued that what had happened had gone far beyond football.
Prominent figures throughout the game also spoke out.
Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger and several other leading managers called for much tougher action against hooliganism and violence inside football grounds.
They argued that such behaviour had plagued English football for far too long and continued to damage both its reputation and its development.
Prime Minister Tony Blair personally intervened as well, calling on the police and football authorities to deal severely with those responsible.
Football hooliganism, he said, had not only damaged the reputation of English football, but Britain's image abroad.
For years, people had talked about stamping it out.
Now, he argued, it was time to turn those words into action.
The entire football world was watching to see how Britain would respond.
That scrutiny was even greater because Ethan Yu was not simply the owner of a football club. He was a globally recognised billionaire with considerable influence in international business and financial circles.
The authorities could not afford to brush the incident aside.
They needed to show the world exactly where they stood on football violence.
Following the Prime Minister's statement, the FA released the match delegate's report.
It reconstructed the sequence of events in detail, including the moment Ethan had risked his own life to protect Mrs Jackson and her child, as well as the subsequent attempt by Millwall hooligans to reach the travelling supporters.
During the press conference, the FA also showed a short piece of footage.
Ethan stood in the aisle of the away section, blood covering his clothes and face, a baseball bat gripped in his hand as he faced down a crowd of advancing hooligans.
The image spread rapidly through the media.
Overnight, Ethan had become the face of the entire incident.
Because of the chaos inside the stadium, the match delegate admitted that he had not been able to clearly see how the fighting on the pitch had begun.
However, the television footage showed the Millwall players moving towards New Manchester United's players while their chairman was still in the stands confronting the hooligans.
Given the circumstances, the FA accepted that the Red Rebels had reasonably believed they were under threat.
The abandoned match was therefore awarded to New Manchester United as a 3-0 victory.
The FA also announced that a wider investigation was already under way and that further disciplinary action would follow.
...
"You are never doing anything that reckless again."
Eva had rushed back from the Caribbean as soon as she heard what had happened.
Even though Ethan had managed to contact her soon afterwards and reassure her himself, she had still been terrified.
Fortunately, his injuries were not life-threatening.
He had suffered several cuts and bruises, along with a fractured left hand, but Professor Fryer was confident that he would recover fully.
Even so, whenever Eva remembered the photographs she had seen online, Ethan covered in blood with a baseball bat in his hand as he stood between the hooligans and the supporters behind him, her heart still seemed to stop.
"It wasn't as if I had time to think," Ethan replied with a grin. "I just couldn't stand there and let him hurt Peter Jackson. You know how much you like Peter Jackson."
Eva knew immediately what he was doing.
The young supporter happened to share his name with the famous film director, and Ethan never missed an opportunity to tease her about it.
She laughed despite herself, only for her expression to become stern again when she looked at his injuries.
"I've already spoken to the production team. I've finished all my scenes anyway, so I'm staying in Manchester and looking after you until you're better."
She said it with such seriousness that she sounded almost like an anxious wife fussing over her injured husband.
Ethan chuckled.
"Perfect. Then we should make the most of the time and start trying for a baby. Peter's adorable. I wouldn't mind having one of our own."
Eva stared at him.
She knew perfectly well that he was teasing her again.
She gave him several light punches on his uninjured arm while complaining that he was deliberately making fun of her, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing.
That was one thing about Ethan.
Whenever she was with him, he always found a way to make her laugh.
A knock at the door interrupted them.
José Mourinho walked in, followed by the players.
The entire first team had come.
Several members of the youth side were there as well, including Lionel Messi, Michael Johnson and Ishmael.
Every one of them carried flowers, with cards tucked between the bouquets.
Ethan was genuinely touched.
He had always tried to look after the people around him, but now that he was the one lying in hospital, the players had been coming to visit him every day.
Some of them did not even own cars.
Messi, for example, had been taking the bus across Manchester just to visit him at the hospital.
"I heard you got hurt as well, Curtis."
Ethan beckoned the youngster over.
He had always regarded Curtis almost like a younger brother, and there was obvious concern in his voice.
"It's nothing, boss," Curtis replied with a grin. "You should see the other bloke."
Ethan smiled and nodded.
He had already watched the footage.
He knew exactly why Curtis had reacted the way he had.
The youngster had seen what was happening to him in the stands and lost his temper.
Ethan could hardly pretend that did not move him.
Perhaps all those years of treating the players like family had meant something after all.
"So what did the FA give you?"
Walsh smiled.
"Curtis has been suspended for three matches and fined £25,000. Essien and Drogba have both received three-match bans and £8,000 fines. The others were fined according to their involvement. As you instructed, the club will cover all of it."
Considering what had happened, it was an extraordinarily lenient punishment for New Manchester United.
Almost every Millwall player involved in the brawl had been injured, and the worst of them were expected to be out for two or three months.
The Red Rebels could hardly complain about three-match suspensions.
After all, whatever the provocation, their players had hardly held back.
Still, some things were worth more than money.
"And Millwall?" Ethan asked.
"The Den has been closed to home matches for the time being. More than eight hundred people were arrested in connection with the disorder, and a large number are facing prosecution. The most serious offenders could receive sentences of up to ten years."
Walsh paused.
"Millwall have also been ordered to pay you £500,000 in compensation towards your medical treatment and recovery. Several of their players have been suspended too, with the longest ban being five matches."
Ethan burst out laughing.
"I never realised getting beaten up could be so profitable."
Everyone in the room laughed.
Eva merely gave him a warning look.
Walsh continued.
"The government has made it clear that this time they're serious. Britain wants to restore the reputation of its sporting culture, especially with future World Cup and Olympic bids in mind. They're preparing a new package of measures aimed at football hooliganism and violence inside stadiums."
Ethan nodded approvingly.
"They should have done it years ago."
At that moment, Curtis and Terry suddenly stepped forward.
The two exchanged glances before smiling.
Their teammates were smiling too. Some looked a little envious, but most simply seemed delighted for them.
"Boss," Curtis began, barely able to contain himself, "John and I got a call from Eriksson last night."
Ethan froze for a moment.
Then his eyes widened.
"Eriksson?"
He stared at them.
"You mean Sven-Göran Eriksson?"
Terry laughed.
"Of course, boss. Who else?"
Ethan immediately understood.
"You've both been called up by England?"
His excitement was even greater than theirs.
Walsh stepped between the two young defenders and put an arm around each of their shoulders.
"Rio Ferdinand has just undergone surgery, Sol Campbell isn't fit, and Ugo Ehiogu is injured. England are suddenly short of centre-backs, so Eriksson has called Curtis and John into the squad."
Ethan broke into a broad smile.
He was genuinely delighted for them.
These were players who had developed at New Manchester United, and now they had reached the England senior squad.
That alone meant something.
Still, once the initial excitement settled, Ethan quickly returned to thinking like a football man.
He asked who else had been selected before reminding both youngsters not to get carried away.
With Gareth Southgate and Jonathan Woodgate also available, Ethan suspected Eriksson would probably start with the more experienced pair.
Curtis and Terry might not even get on the pitch.
But that hardly mattered.
For Ethan, simply seeing players developed by his own club receive senior international call-ups was enough to fill him with pride.
Their performances for New Manchester United had earned them this opportunity.
"Don't worry, boss," Curtis said eagerly. "We won't let you down."
Then he grinned.
"Because we're Red Rebels."
Curtis was only seventeen years old.
At that age, being called into the England squad was an extraordinary honour.
But he knew exactly who had given him the platform to reach this point.
Ethan.
And New Manchester United.
(To be continued.)
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