Football: City demand fan gives ball back

LONDON: Manchester City turned to the police to force a teenage fan to return the match ball used in their dramatic Premier League title-clinching victory over QPR. Hundreds of City supporters spilled onto the Eastlands pitch to celebrate the result. In the chaos, one young fan took off with the ball, but his hopes of holding onto the prized souvenir came to an end as City officials wanted it back. They viewed CCTV footage which identified a 17-year-old youth picking up the ball and it was then decided the matter should be brought to the attention of Greater Manchester Police who arrested him on suspicion of theft. Shortly after his arrest he was ‘de-arrested’ when City opted not to press charges and instead arranged a meeting with him to ask for their ball back.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2012.