HOOLIGAN Huddersfield Town fans have been blamed for vandalising a statue of Leeds United hero Billy Bremner.
The memorial, outside Leeds’s Elland Road ground, was sprayed with ‘HYC’ – the initials of Town’s ‘firm’ group of fans, the Huddersfield Young Casuals.
Staff also found blue paint daubed across the face and body of the 9ft bronze statue.
It happened before Leeds beat Town 4-0 in the highly anticipated derby match at Elland Road on Saturday.
The game had already been moved forward to 12.15pm because of fears of clashes between rival fans.
And it came just a day after the 10th anniversary of Bremner’s death at the age of 54.
A Town spokesman said the incident was nothing to do with the club and they did not want to comment.
But he added: "If the police are investigating the matter, we will obviously co-operate fully."
After Saturday’s game, Leeds manager Dennis Wise condemned the vandalism.
He said: "I have a message for whoever did it.
"I'd just like to say: ‘Up yours.’ You deserved everything you got today.
"I'm sure it was some dope who has come along and decided to be funny.
"We weren't happy about that and you don’t disrespect a player of that calibre. People like that are just idiots.
"We don't need things like that in football and we don’t want things like that in football."
Ray Fell, chairman of the Leeds United Supporters’ Club, said: "This is an action that will sadden all true Leeds fans.
"Billy means so much to us and we are sad that such an action could be taken.
"It is a pity that football still attracts these kinds of hooligans.
"Within the ground there is rivalry but you don’t expect anything like this. It is taking rivalry too far and it is disappointing that people will stoop to this level."
Bremner was Leeds’s captain in the 1960s and 1970s and has been voted their greatest ever player by fans.
The sculpture was put up at the corner of Elland Road’s south and east stands in 1999.
A minute’s applause in his memory was held inside Elland Road before Saturday’s game.
