A 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault after a video circulated showing a player elbow a member of the opposing team in the face
13:38, 19 Jan 2026Updated 14:17, 19 Jan 2026
Police Issue Urgent Appeal Over Awful Footage In Welsh Football Match
Police have issued an urgent appeal after a footballer was arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with an incident during a match in Wales’ third tier on Saturday.
A 35-year-old man was arrested after awful footage circulated online which appeared to show a Trearddur Bay player elbow a player from Porthmadog who fell to the ground.
Porthmadog FC said their player Danny Brookwell had been left concussed following the incident. Trearddur Bay FC announced on Sunday that they had made the decision to release the player involved from the club with “immediate effect” after an emergency general meeting of the committee.
On Monday North Wales Police issued an update confirming the 35-year-old man who was arrested has been bailed with conditions whilst the force seek charging advice.
District inspector Iwan Jones appealed for the person who filmed the video, which has been viewed over 10 million times on X, to come forward to police so that evidence can be formally obtained.
He said: “I am aware of the video footage of this incident circulating online and thank members of the public for reporting it to us, we are working closely with the victim.
“We are now appealing for the individual who filmed the video to come forward so that an evidential statement can be obtained and formally included within the case file submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service.
“Additionally, I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident and hasn’t already spoken to police to come forward.”
On Sunday Porthmadog expressed its disappointment at events on the pitch and said that its “major concern” is for the welfare of its player Mr Brookwell, who was knocked to the ground after being elbowed in the face. Porthmadog said Mr Brookwell was concussed had to leave the field following treatment.
In a statement the club said: “Following the incident that occurred at Y Traeth yesterday afternoon, which has been well documented on various social media outlets, the club would like to emphasise that its major concern is for the welfare and safety of our player Danny Brookwell.
“Danny was concussed and following treatment had to leave the field of play. It is our understanding that he is recovering at home.”
Porthmadog added: “The club’s intention is to let the appropriate authorities deal with the matter and trust that the right steps will be taken and that we don’t see such a horrific scene again.”
The incident occurred during Trearddur Bay’s away fixture at Porthmadog’s Y Traeth stadium in Gwynedd, which the home team won 3-2.
Footage of the incident has circulated widely on social media, prompting football fans around the UK to call for a lifetime ban for the player responsible. A shared video of the alleged incident on X has been viewed more than 10 million times.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) confirmed it was looking into the incident. A statement read: “Tier-three matches fall under the jurisdiction of the FAW. The FAW is aware of the incident and will be reviewing it.”
In their statement announcing their player had been released, Trearddur Bay FC apologised for the incident. “Trearddur Bay Football Club does not condone violence in any form and acknowledges that the incident should not have occurred.
“The club offers its sincere apologies to the opposition player involved, Porthmadog FC, match officials, supporters, and the wider football community.
“The club will fully cooperate with any external investigations or disciplinary processes and will make no further comment at this time while these matters are ongoing.”
In its latest update North Wales Police reminded the public that the investigation is ongoing and asked people not to speculate about guilt or innocence.
“I would remind individuals that this is an active investigation and that sharing certain information, or speculating about guilt or innocence, can have legal consequences, including being held in contempt of court,” Insp Jones said.
“Anybody with information that could assist our investigation should contact police via our website or by calling 101 quoting 26000046180.”
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