Walter Finch
THIS is the moment an older man is punched to the ground by a younger man in San Sebastian last night as fans of Manchester United and Tottenham clashed.
A video circulating on social media shows two groups of fans skirmishing in the narrow, picturesque streets of the Basque town the night before the Europa League final.
One larger group is seen aggressively approaching a smaller group of men who seem to be making way, while an elder man appears to try to reason with the angry mob.
He is then sent to the ground by a slug from a young man in a black t-shirt and shorts who then retreats back to the safety of his group as another skirmish breaks out just metres away.
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Things quickly spill out of hand as a table is tipped over and a topless man is seen entering the fray.
Before long bottles and beers and flying and another man is wielding a table as the mob gears up for battle.
For a while it seems like posturing and shouting, until one man is clattered with a table as he is squaring up to an overweight fan.
It’s unclear which group of fans are supporters of Manchester United and which follow Tottenham Hotspurs – but it seems the former were the aggressors.
READ MORE: PARTY LIKE IT’S 2008: Tottenham vow to ‘take revenge’ for Bilbao in critical Euro final tonight
Meanwhile, over in Bilbao, where the game is due to take place, tens of thousands of Spurs fans took to the streets in less violent but still loutish scenes.
Fans were spotted climbing on bus stops and traffic lights, with one even ripped apart and paraded by the chanting crowds.
The police eventually arrived on the scene around 11pm to calm the situation before once again disappearing and leaving the fans to it.
There Manchester United-supporting rivals fans were out in force in the nearby Plaza Nueva, with neither group meeting in numbers and almost no trouble.
United fans annoyed locals by trying to climb scaffolding in order to hang their flags from balconies, with one Basque man seen whacking a fan with a stick.
Aside from singing for hours on end, in the upmarket Poza area, the Spurs fans insisted the stars were aligning to win their first trophy for 17 years, winning the English League Cup in 2008.
Local bar owners and restaurateurs told the Olive Press they wanted Spurs to win after seeing their team Athletic lose 0-3 on May 1 at their famous San Mames stadium.
“It will be tight and will go to extra time, but Spurs will win 3-2,” said Pepe, the owner of Anaiak, in Calle Doctor Areilza.
Busy from 2pm serving Spurs fans, he ‘couldn’t believe’ how busy the junction had got by 5pm when police had to close the street as well as next door Licenciado Poza.
Fans took over at least 200 metres of streets close to the San Mames stadium, while they played football and jumped around singing as if they’d already won the final.
Despite their star player Heung-min Son failing to light the stage this season, a Korean trumpeter got the fans singing from a balcony above.
Families from all over the UK were uniting together in their colours.
One London property developer, Nigel, from Elstree, told the Olive Press he was footing the bill for seven people.
“As well as my wife, I’ve got three daughters and two of them have brought boyfriends with them” he said.
“We all drove up from Madrid in a nine-seater. Some people go to the Maldives for holidays, I’m spending my savings on trips like this.”
“The Spanish hospitality has been amazing and we’re having a great time.”
Meanwhile, lots of youngsters were going around on their dads shoulders, despite flares being lit and teenagers clambering up street signs.
