The beautiful game? Fists and chairs fly as football league match descends into a mass brawl

Tempers boiled over a mere five minutes into this game between two amateur football teams.

Within moments, players were trading punches, opposing fans were hurling chairs and the terrified referee was forced to call the police.

At one point, a snarling player roamed the pitch armed with a plank.

The free-for-all began after a verbal altercation between two players within seconds of the kick-off. One was sent off, but angry at the decision, came back on to the pitch.

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Police eventually had to escort referee David Shipp off the pitch, and a trainer was taken to hospital with a broken finger and facial injuries after being hit by a flying chair.

Police and local FA chiefs are investigating the shameful scenes that erupted when Heywood St James, playing at home in Heywood, near Rochdale, took on Salford Victoria in Division One of the Bridgewater Office Supplies Football League, which covers Greater Manchester, last Saturday. So far there have been no arrests.

Both club chairmen expressed astonishment at the violence that erupted between the teams, which were on equal points in the league.

News of the brawl came a day after the Football Association said amateur footballers will face an instant red card for swearing as part of a zero tolerance approach to bad language next season.

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Danny Dyson, chairman of Heywood St James, said: "There was a bit of an off-the ball scuffle and the next minute all hell broke out.

"They had only played four or five minutes and the referee hadn't even blown his whistle for a foul before the fighting started.

"I don't want to say any more until I've seen the referee's report, but I've never seen anything as disgusting in all my years of football."

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St James's trainer Lee Young was taken to Fairfield Hospital, near Bury, suffering from a broken finger and a damaged nose when he was hit by a chair.

Dennis Booth, a fan who watched the chaotic scenes, described it as "sickening".

He said: "There were less than five minutes on the clock. It was unbelievable. I'm not sure what ignited the flare-up but I must say the referee was brilliant throughout."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester police said they were investigating allegations of affray, criminal damage and assault, although no arrests had yet been made.

Chris Carney, chairman of Salford Victoria , said he was waiting to hear from the FA.

He added: "I'm very upset with the situation - it's something that I have never seen before."