VIOLENCE erupted after football fans staged a pitch invasion at a pre-season fixture last night.

Hundreds of supporters streamed onto the playing area after Newcastle United went 2-0 up in the second half of their opening pre-season game at Darlington.

Fans fought with stewards and police, and it took a plea for calm from Newcastle manager Alan Pardew to prevent the game being abandoned.

The club last night issued a statement condemning the shameful scenes and pledged to take action against those responsible.

The FA is expected to launch an investigation into the events, which saw more than 6,100 Newcastle supporters converge on The Northern Echo Arena.

Company managing director Chris Petty last night lodged a complaint with Darlington FC about what he described as a “totally inadequate”

police presence at the match.

The boss of Cornerstone Business Solutions, who lives in Stockton, was at the game with his wife, Michelle, and children Lewis, ten, and Emma-Louise, nine.

Mr Petty, a Newcastle fan, said: “It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen. We left for our own safety and my kids were terrified.”

He described how violence flared after two stewards went into the Newcastle end to grab a fan.

“The Newcastle fans started kicking, punching and stamping on the stewards.

About five stewards got filled in and it all just kicked off.

“The scary thing was that there was nothing to stop the Newcastle fans running over to where we were.

“I only counted eight police and I wasn’t taking any chances. We got the kids out and as people were leaving, they were just being punched randomly.

“I called the club as soon as I got home and made a complaint about the lack of police, but they just said they weren’t expecting trouble because it was a friendly.”

One Darlington fan, who left the stadium after the pitch invasion, said: “The Newcastle fans were an absolute disgrace.

“You could tell a lot of them were drunk before the game and the second goal just set them off.

“They even looked like they were fighting amongst themselves on the pitch.

“It was unreal to see those sorts of scenes at a so-called pre-season friendly.”

There had been little indication of what was to follow during a low-key first half, but the mood changed within ten minutes of the interval.

Adapting a song from last season, Newcastle’s supporters chanted, ‘If Sammy scores we’re on the pitch’ in reference to 53rd-minute substitute Sammy Ameobi.

Ameobi duly scored and hundreds of supporters immediately streamed onto the playing area.

They remained there for more than five minutes before they were dispersed, but just as the game was about to resume, a smaller group spilled back onto the pitch and began fighting with stewards and police.

In a separate incident, a Darlington fan raced from the home end and appeared to attack a steward close to the technical area housing the Newcastle coaches.

The match was delayed by about ten minutes as Newcastle boss Alan Pardew and assistant manager, John Carver, crossed the pitch to plead for calm, before the game restarted.

After the match, Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias said: “On behalf of everyone at Newcastle United FC, we wholly condemn the behaviour of a number of our supporters who invaded the pitch during the second half of the club’s friendly against Darlington this evening.

“The club will be seeking to obtain footage of the disorder from Darlington FC and the police and will be taking the strongest possible action against those individuals responsible for the shameful behaviour.

“This behaviour is not typical of the vast majority of our fans, however this incident gives a poor impression of Newcastle United and its loyal supporters.”

Darlington manager Mark Cooper added: “The worst thing for me is that there were a lot of young kids about.

Hopefully lessons can be learnt and it won’t happen again.

“We all want to see football fans enjoying themselves, but one or two always want to take it too far and then the rest follow like sheep and it gets out of hand.

“I’m just pleased that none of my players were injured, which is always a worry, and I don’t think any kids or women were injured, so that’s the saving grace for me.

“I was worried for my players when the fans first came on, because it only takes one idiot to produce a knife or a bottle – which I saw a few of.”