A Norwich City fan has told of his horror at the moment he blacked out and was knocked to the ground when leaving Bramall Lane.

Norwich Evening News: Norwich City fans reported they were attacked after gave against Sheffield United. Picture: Michael Sedgwick/Focus ImagesNorwich City fans reported they were attacked after gave against Sheffield United. Picture: Michael Sedgwick/Focus Images (Image: �Focus Images Limited www.focus-images.co.uk +447814 482222)

John Carver, 55, of Bowthorpe, suffered a broken jaw after he was attacked from behind in an outburst of violence after the Canaries' 1-0 away win against Sheffield United on Saturday.

And the pain is not over for Mr Carver, who was due at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Monday morning for an operation to have a plate and a screw put into his jaw to set it.

Mr Carver, who works in the mail room at Aviva, said: 'I was coming out of the ground talking to my mate about the match and next thing I knew I was waking up with a paramedic over me.

'My mate said someone had come at me from behind and hit me - I never saw it coming.'

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After the paramedic gave first-aid, Mr Carver - keen to return home - got back on the fan bus to Norfolk and his wife took him to the NNUH, where an x-ray revealed his jaw was broken.

He said yesterday he was still in severe pain, unable to eat and unsure when he would be able to return to work.

City supporters claim to have been targeted by rival fans as they left the ground, and two people were allegedly hospitalised in Sheffield.

South Yorkshire Police initially said they had arrested two Norwich fans, but later admitted they had made a mistake and that the men arrested were from Sheffield. The police were criticised for their slow response to the violence, and Mr Carver said he was appalled at what happened. He said: 'It's terrible. Those sort of people shouldn't be anywhere near a football ground.

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'I spoke to the police and hopefully they're going to find it on CCTV and get the guy who did it.'

Fellow City fan Mark Francis, 50, from Wreningham, was also caught up in the violence when leaving the ground.

Mr Francis said he suffered a blow to the side of the head in the incident.

He said: 'I saw one guy was getting punched and attacked by four or five people. There were no police there initially, and then the stewards started to step in and break it up. They blocked us back into the exit so we were on the inside and the Sheffield fans were on the outside. They were like pack animals. It was unpleasant and unnecessary.'