Knife fight in Birmingham park that left two injured ‘sparked by football row’

A knife fight that broke out in a Birmingham park was “sparked by an argument at a football match”. Two men were injured during the standoff after rival groups “fought weapons”.

Emergency services were called to reports of a stabbing on Villa Street near Georges Park in Lozells just before 11.30am on Thursday 9 May. One victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital. Another man was treated and released at the scene.

West Midlands Police said three men – aged 31, 32 and 35 – were detained on suspicion of wounding. They were later released on bail. Now BirminghamLive understands the outbreak of violence started following a disagreement over a football game. A witness claims to have seen around 10 people, aged between 20 and 30, fighting with weapons.

READ MORE: Two injured in city park stabbing as ‘groups fight with guns in broad daylight’

“I understand there was a group of boys playing football in the park and another group came along wanting to play football or join in. Then there was a dispute over who was going to use the park to play football,” a witness told BirminghamLive.

“Some of the people went to the cars to get out guns, baseball bats and whatever. People came out of their houses and tried to defuse the situation. I heard a lady was also hit. park at the entrance I saw about 10 people fighting.

Community activist Des Jaddoo told BirminghamLive: “This was in broad daylight, the sun was out and this was happening. It goes to highlight the underlying tensions that exist in many communities. He was over the smallest and most trivial thing. These groups went to the park for a bit of fun, but ended up getting two people injured.”

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service told BirminghamLive: “We were called at 11.27am on May 9 to a stabbing on Villa Street in Birmingham. Two ambulances arrived at the scene. Upon arrival we found two men.

“The first suffered serious non-life threatening injuries. He received treatment at the scene before being transported to hospital for further treatment. The second man suffered non-life threatening injuries. He received treatment on the spot, along with himself. care advice, before being discharged on site.”

A police spokesman added: “We were called to Georges Park, Birmingham at around 11.15am to reports of a disturbance.
Upon arrival, the police found a group of people, where two men were arrested, being suspected of being injured.

“An investigation is underway to establish the details and the two men remain in custody for questioning. One man suffered serious injuries, while another man was assessed at the scene and later discharged by ambulance staff.” It was later confirmed that a third man had been detained following the incident. If you witnessed anything, you can contact the police via Live Chat on their website or by calling 101 quoting log 1629 of May 9.

Stay awake to keep up to date with the latest news from Birmingham or the West Midlands or your neighborhood with our Birmingham news Email updates sent directly to your inbox