League inquiry into brawl

Ice hockey

Premier League officials will meet on Thursday to discuss the outbreak of violence that prompted the abandonment of Saturday's game in Hull between Kingston Hawks and Telford Tigers.

Police were called to the rink after a brawl erupted 10 minutes into the game with the score at 2-2. A record-breaking 506 minutes in penalties were meted out by the referee David Cloutman, and six men, including both team managers, were dismissed.

Video evidence may be used by officials to determine what punishments will be enforced. It is believed there was ill-feeling between the two teams at the end of the midweek encounter in Telford, which the home side won 5-2.

During the warm-up for Saturday's game, a fight broke out between Telford's Mark Pallister, the cousin of the Manchester United and England footballer Gary Pallister, and Kingston's Norman Pinnington. Just 24 seconds into the game the pair had another fracas, and soon after Kingston's assistant coach, Bobby McEwan, became involved.

The trouble did not end there, and less than 10 minutes later the referee abandoned the game after a mass free-for-all.

The Kingston manager, Keith Milhench, and his Telford counterpart, David Graham, were punished for allowing their players on to the ice to fight.