Chelsea thread

Following his arrest after Chelsea�s FA Cup tie against QPR last season, the case against Cliff Auger for �threatening behaviour� was thrown out by magistrates but, in what we here at cfcuk.net consider a totally farcical verdict, he was, nevertheless, found guilty and fined �500 for �causing unnecessary suffering to a police dog'.

The incident occurred when Cliff, his two sons and two of their friends were walking away from Stamford Bridge after the match. They had walked up the North End Rd when, opposite The Goose pub, the Tactical Support Group of the Metropolitan Police arrived and, for reasons still unknown, decided to set their dogs of Cliff�s 16-year-old son James.

One of the animals � an Alsatian � sunk its teeth into the back of the youngster�s thigh causing his father to kick the dog in an attempt to make the dog release its jaws from his leg.

Upon seeing Cliff kick the dog, officers in the TSG set about Cliff and, after they had pinned him to the ground and assaulted him, he was arrested and taken to Hammersmith Police Station.

Whilst in the cells, Cliff complained about not feeling well and a doctor was called and, after a brief examination, he recommended that he should go straight to hospital.

Once there, he was taken for x-rays and it was discovered that he had sustained three broken ribs and a punctured lung as a result of the TSG officers attempting to arrest him.

He was charged with the offences mentioned above and today, after a two day trial, the charge of threatening behaviour was dismissed but the magistrate decided that he was guilty of the offence against the dog and imposed the fine.

In our opinion, it is farcical because, as the case against Cliff was thrown out for threatening behaviour, what justification had the police got for allowing their dog to attack and bite his son?

That said, there is still an ongoing investigation into the incident being carried out by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the case for an appeal is being considered.

We here at cfcuk.net are asking Chelsea supporters to back Cliff and his family by contributing to a fund to not only help Cliff pay his fine but also fund the costs of any forthcoming appeal against conviction.

The cfcuk fanzine sellers will be collecting from those who wish to donate on the Chelsea special train to Middlesbrough on Saturday and there will be a collection tin located at the cfcuk stall on the Fulham Rd prior to the home matches against Roman and Liverpool.

If 500 people give just �1, it will pay Cliff�s fine and, should the same number of contributors give �5 each, it would go a long way to paying the considerable costs should an appeal be launched.

Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Just as in the days of the 1970s and 1980s when Cghelsea supporters were arrested and fined, we here at cfcuk.net are hoping that the Chelsea family unite to help one of their own.