Football club offers support to injured minibus fans

A large-scale emergency response saw the road closed for several hours

Support and counselling will be offered to football fans involved in a minibus crash on the A1M, club officials have said.

Seventeen people were taken to hospital after the vehicle overturned on Saturday evening near Pontefract.

West Yorkshire Police said three people were still receiving treatment, and officers want to trace a third vehicle, a white car, which could have been involved.

South Shields FC chairman Geoff Thompson described the crash as a "huge shock" and said the club would offer "help and assistance" in any way they could.

South Shields FC Club chairman Geoff Thompson said the club would offer support and counselling to fans

Pictures of the crash show the damaged minibus on its side on the northbound carriageway between junctions 40 and 41.

It was travelling back to South Shields following an away match at Tamworth on Saturday, when the it was involved in a collision at about 19:00 BST.

Mr Thompson said players had been sending video messages to injured fans and the club had been "blown away" by the offers of support received.

The chairman said he was relieved the situation "wasn't far worse" and said he was looking forward to "welcoming people back" to Mariners Park.

Police said the collision, which happened near Darrington, involved a black Skoda Fabia and seven people are thought to have suffered serious injuries.

Emergency services including the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were called to the scene

Minibus passenger Robert Reed said he was "flung out of the window" after the vehicle spun and overturned on the motorway.

"I looked up and saw the bus in the middle of the road with all my friends inside and my first instinct was to ring 999," he said.

Mr Reed said he saw a fan trapped under the bus and "flagged down a number of people" who helped lift it up to release the man.

West Yorkshire Police appealed for anyone with information or footage to get in touch.