CRAIG Short has paid tribute to the 125 fans who died at a football match in Indonesia at the weekend.
Last week, Oxford United announced Indonesian investors Anindya Bakrie and Erick Thohir had finalised a deal which sees them take a controlling 51 per cent stake in the U’s.
Arema FC fans flooded onto the pitch after their home defeat to rivals Persebaya Surabaya.
Our thoughts are with Indonesia following the tragic stadium incident in Malang. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/e1WGtM2q4b
— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) October 2, 2022
Indonesian police have said they are investigating more than a dozen officers responsible for firing tear gas at the game, sparking a crush which has killed 125 people.
Most of the deaths occurred when riot police fired tear gas, triggering the crush of fans.
The match was watched only by Arema FC fans, after organisers had banned visiting Persebaya Surabaya supporters due to Indonesia’s history of violent football rivalries.
United’s assistant boss Short said: “I’m old enough to remember Heysel and Hillsborough, and it’s a worse disaster than Hillsborough.
“You don’t go to a football match thinking you’re going to lose a loved one.
“It’s tragic circumstances over there and there’s a lot of shock.
“The details are still coming out so I’m presuming the deaths are going to rise.”
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