Police arrest Campbell tormentor
Police arrested a Tottenham fan who fiercely abused Arsenal’s former Spurs skipper Sol Campbell as the players left the field after Saturday’s North London derby at White Hart Lane.
Campbell, on his latest return to the club he left on a free transfer in June 2001 after nine seasons for their neighbours, was jeered by home supporters from the first whistle and incurred even more wrath by catching Spurs’ Finland midfielder Teemu Tainio with an elbow during the game.
Tainio needed stitches in a wound above his eye that poured blood before he was wrapped in a head bandage and Tottenham manager Martin Jol later revealed that his centre-half Michael Dawson was also hurt by a Campbell elbow.
Jol was furious when the incidents took place and sarcastically said: “I’d like to teach my players how to do that. He (Campbell) goes up for the ball with his arm up but it is a professional game.
“You saw the same thing with Newcastle at Grimsby in the week (Alan Shearer needed stitches after an elbow from Justin Whittle) but all we can do is let the referee make the decision.”
Campbell, who was pelted with missiles when he made his first return to Spurs as an Arsenal player three years ago, insisted he was “focused on the ball all the time”.
He was escorted up the tunnel by police and stewards after the game in which Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was struck by a conker thrown from the crowd but did not have treatment until after the final whistle.
