POLICE believe a gang of 25 men who invaded a football pitch and attacked players may have been carrying out a revenge attack.

Players and supporters of Cookley Social Football Club, including women and children, fled in panic after the mob rampaged on to the Lea Lane ground on Saturday armed with pickaxe handles, golf clubs and a spiked bar.

Many youngsters were left in tears by the incident, which also saw hundreds of pounds of damage caused to the clubhouse. It is being linked to trouble at a match a week earlier which also involved Cookley.

Violence flared on Saturday shortly after the start of the second half of the Kidderminster & District League Subsidiary Cup clash between Cookley and fellow Premiership side Furnace Sports, of Stourbridge. The referee was forced to abandon the game with Cookley leading 3-0 at about 3.45pm.

A spectator said he feared the fighting was linked to the previous Saturday's incident when a 10-man brawl took place at the same venue following the sending-off of two players in the Kidderminster Hospital Junior Cup semi-final between Cookley and another Black Country side, Timbertree, of Netherton.

That match was abandoned after 55 minutes after alleged violent misconduct from a Timbertree official which ended with fans pouring on to the pitch.

The fan, who did not want to be named, added of the Furnace Sports encounter: "All hell broke loose and luckily people were able to run to safety.

"One Cookley player was kicked and punched to the ground, but considering the weapons being banded about, nobody was seriously injured."

Police and league officials have yet to make a decision on whether to allow the cup-tie between Cookley and Furnace Sports to be replayed.

The scheduled League Cup quarter-final between Cookley and Timbertree on Saturday is also in doubt.

Kidderminster Police spokeswoman Caroline Schubert confirmed there was a "serious possibility" the incidents were linked. She added a major investigation had been launched which includes interviewing the 70 adult spectators, but no arrests have yet been made.

Insp Peter Round said he had "come across nothing like it" during his 22 years with the force and urged witnesses to contact police on 01562 820888.