THE Steel City Derby is always a daunting prospect, with two fierce rivals going head-to-head to claim three points \u2013 and that\u2019s just on the pitch.<\/p>\n
Behind the scenes, police officers have seen a number of incidents of violence erupting between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday fans over the years.<\/p>\n
In 2011, violent scuffles were aimed at police, with one officer being injured and numerous others being kicked and punched.<\/p>\n
Despite this, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, Steve Kent, volunteered to return back to the streets to help his colleagues in policing the fixture.<\/p>\n
Steve joined nearly 500 other officers, many of whom who were working on cancelled rest days, to ensure the safety of the 31,360 fans attending Hillsborough.<\/p>\n
Steve commended his fellow officers, saying: \u201cAll officers involved did a great job in helping keep the public safe against a backdrop of pretty miserable cold and wet conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a few minor outbreaks of disorder between the minority of supporters intent on causing trouble, however, they were small scale and I believe the robust actions of South Yorkshire Police and mutual aid officers made a huge contribution in making the attendance of the game for the vast majority a safe and enjoyable experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some troublesome supporters decided to throw objects at Blades defender Jack O\u2019Connell as he was taking a throw-in, but for the majority of the game, the behaviour of both sets of fans was good, according to Chief Superintendent Shaun Morley.<\/p>\n
Six arrests were made on the night, representing a relatively quiet affair, much like the game itself which, for the third time in a row, finished in a drab 0-0 draw.<\/p>\n