My brother let me know about this story and when I got home Mariamne had emailed me the link (as well as telling me about some awful nursing homes in America).

 Manchester United and Liverpool have issued a joint statement condemning the fans who attacked the ambulance taking Alan Smith to hospital at the weekend. Smith, 25, suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle during United's 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Anfield.

Reports in several newspapers on Thursday claimed the ambulance was surrounded by people who threw stones and bottles at it and even tried to rock it from side to side. The two paramedics - both Liverpool fans - were described as being "horrified" by the hostility shown once the culprits realised the occupants of the ambulance were Alan Smith and Manchester United's club doctor Mike Stone.

You can read more about it at the Guardian.

It really beggars all description, attacking an ambulance is just evil – even warring nations tend to not attack Red Cross ambulances, yet these ‘fans’ wanted to do serious harm to the people inside.  I’m just hoping that there is plenty of CCTV footage for the police to look at.

When I saw the picture of the footballer’s injury I instantly recognised it as a fractured dislocation, which is a very nasty injury.  He should be very grateful to the doctor that he was unaware of what was happening to him (I suspect that the doctor gave him some Ketamine).

Just a nasty business all round.