The family of a dedicated fundraiser and father who died after undergoing double valve heart surgery said they had been left "disappointed and disgusted" after their memorial flag was spat on by opposition fans at a Swansea City game.
Mitchell Powell's family were "left in tears" after the incident sparked a heated clash between rival fans with Rotherham supporters allegedly shouting "rip up the flag".
The loving father and avid fundraiser died aged 26, leaving behind a fiancé Danielle and young daughter Lylah, alongside a loving family who continue to mourn his loss. He had posted a picture outside hospital before his surgery asking people to wish him luck, but he never came out. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
He had cemented himself in Swansea City AFC history as an avid lifelong fan known for his infectious smile and sipping on a bottle of Red Stripe on gameday. You can read more about his legacy here. His friends and family have carried on his legacy of charitable work, through the Mitchell Powell Foundation - providing benefit to local people who have had life-changing health conditions and supporting grieving families.
The charity launch is scheduled to take place Friday, August 12. You can view their ongoing fundraising efforts and work by clicking here. You can read more stories about Swansea here.
The memorial flag appears at every Swansea game that Mitchell's family attend with the young man pictured sporting his favourite team's football shirt in the centre.
At the Rotherham game his family placed the flag on seating, where other flags were also placed, a short distance from their seats, but encountered difficulties retrieving it after the full-time whistle.
"We were standing at the pathway at the bottom of the tier and people were just screaming, we weren't sure what was happening but Swans fans were screaming about people spitting on flags. We couldn't see much to begin with but we had young boys approach us to tell us our flag had been spat on and fans had been arguing over it" said Kirsty Powell, Mitchell's sister.
As Kirsty and Mitchell's father attempted to retrieve the flag, Kirsty claimed some Rotherham fans were still persistent in trying to get to the flag and she said they heard shouts of "rip it".
"We could see people trying to rip it and grab it off where it was resting, my father was in tears trying to retrieve it and all we could do was watch. We were all devastated by what was happening" she added.
Stewards escorted the family through the stadium and a senior member of staff told them the matter would be investigated and also apologised for the behaviour.
"The journey home was horrific, we finally got the flag back and had to wipe off all the spit that was all over Mitchell's face on the flag. It put such a dampener on our entire day. I don't promote violence but in a weird way, we felt proud that a number of our fans were defending him. My phone hasn't stopped since from people reaching out in support and Rotherham said they would be in touch in the future.
"I know football is football and there is a level of banter between two sets of fans but we are all humans, for my father to see people spitting on his son's face, it was just horrific" she said.
In a statement following the game, Swansea City said: "Swansea City strongly condemns the behaviour of a small number of supporters following today’s Sky Bet Championship clash with Rotherham United. At the conclusion of a game played in a great spirit and a terrific atmosphere, there were instances of unacceptable, unsavoury behaviour involving both Swansea and Rotherham fans in the south-east corner of the AESSEAL New York Stadium.
"That such behaviour should happen during a period where the club has worked closely with the EFL in promoting the ‘Love Football. Protect the Game' campaign - which has seen clubs across all three divisions stress the need to eradicate anti-social behaviour from our game – only adds to our sense of dismay.
"Ourselves and Rotherham United will now work together - and with South Yorkshire and South Wales Police - to identify those involved in the scenes witnessed after the full-time whistle. Such behaviour is simply not acceptable. We want to thank the large majority of Swans fans who – as always - behaved impeccably. They represented the club and backed Russell Martin and the players brilliantly."
In its statement, Rotherham United said it was "incredibly disappointed with the behaviour of a small number of supporters".
"Following a positive afternoon on the pitch – during which Paul Warne’s side got off-the-mark with a point in the second tier – we are disappointed to be issuing this statement concerning the events involving a small section of both Millers and Swansea City fans located in the South East corner of the stadium.
"The club works closely with the EFL and has been stressing the message of their ‘Love Football. Protect The Game’ campaign – which has seen clubs across the country working as a collective to stamp out crowd trouble - in the build-up to the 2022/23 campaign. Both clubs will now work together alongside South Yorkshire Police to identify and subsequently punish the perpetrators and the individuals in question will not be welcome back at AESSEAL New York Stadium, where we pride ourselves on creating an environment in which everyone can enjoy the game.
"We would once again like to thank the majority of our fan base who – as always – behaved impeccably and helped the team to perform on the pitch".
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