New footage from Alkmaar shows West Ham midfielder Flynn Downes throwing punches at Dutch hooligans as they advance on families of Hammers stars
- West Ham reached the final of the UEFA Conference League by beating AZ Alkmaar
- At the end of the game, Dutch fans attacked some of the visiting supporters
- Hammers midfielder Flynn Downes threw punches in an attempt to defend himself
New footage has emerged showing West Ham midfielder Flynn Downes throwing punches at AZ Alkmaar hooligans after their Europa Conference League semi-final turned into chaos on Thursday night.
The Hammers secured a 1–0 win on the night after Pablo Fornals struck in stoppage time to see them through to the finals of the competition with a 3–1 win on aggregate.
However, the historic result – with West Ham qualifying for their first European final in 47 years – was marred by the gruesome scenes that followed.
A horde of violent Alkmaar fans, dressed all in black and hooded to hide their identities, forced their way into the away stands to exchange blows with West Ham supporters at the final whistle.
The scrap quickly spiraled out of control as dozens of hooded hooligans poured into the section detaining the family and friends of West Ham’s victorious players.
West Ham midfielder Flynn Downes threw punches while defending himself on Thursday night
The scrap was about to get particularly nasty as fans fended off hooded thugs before players launched into the stands to help
Riots in the stands after the semi-final of the UEFA Conference League between AZ Alkmaar and West Ham United FC
Without hesitation, West Ham’s Mikhail Antonio and Flynn Downes jumped the hoardings and hurried to the stands, closely followed by teammates Lucas Paqueta and Said Benrahma in an attempt to stop the chaos.
New footage shows Downes involved in a physical altercation that night, throwing punches amidst the chaos.
The former Swansea midfielder was seen falling behind as several Alkmaar hooligans tried to attack him, with several stewards close to him.
Shocking footage from the stands also saw brave West Ham supporters desperately trying to hold back the stream of Alkmaar ultras from attacking the families, while others stood atop a stairwell and lashed out blow-by-blow at the approaching horde.
Just when it looked like the violence was about to turn into an all-out brawl, security teams managed to fight their way into the fight and separate the crews, while other guards jumped in to hold back the enraged West Ham players.
After the game, manager David Moyes said, “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened.
“Players were involved because it was the family section… that was probably the reason for the reaction.
“I don’t want to ruin the night in any way because the West Ham fans weren’t looking for trouble. Hopefully they’ll look into it.
“My family was there and I had friends in that section. You hope they’d try to get rid of it… I didn’t recognize it because I was too happy.’
Lucas Paqueta (right) and Said Benrahma (left) were also among the players who came on