Seventy-four supporters of FC Utrecht are on trial in their hometown of Utrecht on Wednesday. They have been charged with rioting after December’s match between FC Utrecht and FC Twente.

The accused will be tried in three separate sessions, in which they will appear before the judge in groups of four. The judge will immediately hand down his verdict. The proceedings will take place behind closed doors because a number of the accused are minors.

The 74 were tracked down on the basis of CCTV footage, which was shown on a number of television shows in which the police enlist the public's help to solve crimes.

The rioting started when supporters of the visiting FC Twente team began throwing fireworks at the FC Utrecht family section. Rioting then erupted outside the stadium. Regular police officers and riot police were pelted with fireworks, bicycles and rocks. A number of officers were injured and warning shots were fired to disperse the hooligans.

The FC Twente hooligans are to appear in court in Almelo soon.

(gsh/imm)

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