Men guilty of football violence

Four football hooligans who rampaged through train carriages in a "pre-planned riot" in south-east London have been found guilty of violent disorder.

Two more Crystal Palace supporters had already admitted the same charges at Southwark Crown Court.

The jury heard that parents tried to protect children during the attack on fans of rival club Charlton Athletic.

Witnesses described the September 2007 violence as a "one-sided riot". The six men will be sentenced in December.

The court heard chants of "kill them" and "get off our manor" rang out as people tried to escape the attack on two carriages as the train travelled between Sydenham and Penge East stations.

'Absolute mayhem'

The attacks happened as fans made their way to a local derby between the south London rivals at Selhurst Park.

The court heard witnesses had variously described the incident as "pandemonium", "absolute mayhem" and "one of the worst moments of my life". One told police it was as if "all hell had broken loose".

The hooligans fled at Penge East station but police - who had responded to a series of 999 calls - chased after them and detained some of those involved.

When CCTV footage of the attacks was later studied and showed who was involved, 150 officers took part in a string of co-ordinated arrests across south London, Sussex and Kent.

Other fans jailed

After 18 hours of deliberation over four days, the jury returned guilty verdicts against four London men - Clive Taylor, 35, of Marion Road, Thornton Heath; Carl Thomas, 40, of Foxley Road, Thornton Heath; Darren Bush, 39, of Woodside Green, Croydon; and Ashley White, 21, of Higher Drive, Purley.

Two other men, Andrew Spicer, 38 of Hurst Road in Kennington, Ashford, Kent, and Bobby Kennett, 48, of St Anns Park Road, Wandsworth, south London, admitted violent disorder at an earlier hearing.

All six men will be sentenced on 5 December.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on a violent disorder charge against a seventh man, Mark Kirby, 37, of Ham Road, Worthing in West Sussex.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it would not seek a retrial of Mr Kirby, who said he has been trying to prevent trouble.

Earlier this year a number of other Crystal Palace supporters, who admitted the same charge of violent disorder, were jailed for up to 40 months each.

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