Violence flared on the streets as football hooligans were involved in a mass brawl on Saturday afternoon ahead of Oldham Athletic's game against Wrexham at Boundary Park.
Shocking video footage showing dozens of thugs fighting each other as police officers move in to face them is being shared widely on social media.
The scenes were filmed by a shopper looking on from the Tesco Extra store on Ashton Road West, a residential street in Failsworth, Oldham, at around 2pm. Separate footage, meanwhile, shows fighting breaking out on nearby Lord Lane. Riot officers from Greater Manchester Police were reportedly called to the scene in both cases.
The footage shows two groups of thugs dressed largely in black with their faces covered squaring up to one another as punches are thrown and kicks landed.
A member of the public, a man, is captured running away and a car with people inside ends up trapped in the midst of the violence in the middle of the road.
Objects are thrown and one man appears to be punched to the floor before GMP officers with batons raised bravely confront the thugs.
A police van parks in the middle of the road, splitting the two gangs, before officers form a line to move a number of those involved back.
There have also been reports of cars being damaged, bottles smashed on streets and wheelie bins tipped over. One witness reported around 10 police vans attended.
Separate video footage seen by the Manchester Evening News shows what are believed to be Wrexham supporters walking up past houses on Lord Lane, with further fighting and the police called.
A bus is stranded in the middle of the road as men trade punches - and bricks can be seen lying on the road.
The M.E.N. has contacted Greater Manchester Police for further comment.
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