FOOTBALL banning orders could be sought by police following a mass brawl between Brighton and Southend supporters.

An investigation has been launched into the fight which broke out before Saturday’s game and left a 17-year-old with a stab wound.

Detectives believe it was started by known “risk groups” who met up on Southend seafront for a pre-arranged punch-up.

They arrested eight people on suspicion of assault and public order offences, but are still looking to make more arrests.

Det Con Dick Spooner, football intelligence officer for Southend police, said they will be pursuing banning orders through the courts.

He added: “Arrests have been made and more may be made as the inquiry goes on.

“It’s very sad for football and the town of Southend that something like this has hit us again and football hooliganism has appeared again.”

The 17-year-old stab victim, who is a Southend supporter, was helped by a member of the public who managed to bandage up his arm wound until paramedics arrived. He was taken to Southend Hospital where he received ten stitches, but is refusing to co-operate with the police.

A Brighton supporter was left with a stab wound to his hands but is not co-operating with the police either. The men who were arrested were all Brighton supporters and have now been released on bail while police carry out their inquiries.

However, a 19-year-old Southend supporter was given a caution after he kept shouting at police and refused to heed warnings to calm down.

Another Southend supporter was arrested after the game at the Railway pub, following a fight in which a man suffered a head injury.

Det Con Spooner said: “We had adequate policing and we dealt with it very quickly. But a message has to be sent out that anyone who comes here in future and wants to be involved in this sort of behaviour will be arrested and dealt with positively.

“They will go before the court and lengthy football banning orders will be applied for because this sort of behaviour has to be stamped out completely from football.”