Glasgow bartender “happy to be alive” after Ajax fans attack

Neil O'Donnell, bartender at Hoops Bar in Glasgow, is "happy to be alive" after Ajax fans stormed his pub on Thursday last week. The attack happened around 7:00 p.m. on November 26th, just before the the Europa League match between Ajax and Celtic STV news reports. Ajax fans ran riot and tried to storm three bars frequented by Celtic supporters. O'Donnell was seriously injured by hooligans, who hit him with an iron bar and nearly trampled him just outside his pub, according to the news agency. He sustained several fractures on his face and had to undergo surgery. He lost around six hours of memory from the night. The police rescued him from the rioting crowd. "Unfortunately due to the memory loss I can't remember much", he said to STV News. "I think at the time I was just happy to be alive, certainly from what everybody told me I was happy to be alive, because I don't remember anything other than coming out with this sore face." "I fractured about five or six different smaller bones in my cheek which has all been repaired and I've now got three titanium plates in my face, which are held together with six screws and unfortunately that's there permanently." O'Donnell continued, adding that his six year old daughter was scared of him when she saw him. "My daughter was horrified. She was scared to see her daddy." Three bars were damaged during the night's rioting and four men ended up in the hospital. The Glasgow police arrested four people before, during and after the match in connection with minor public order offenses. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3fugq9_ajax-with-rangers-attacked-celtic-pub-last-night_sport http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3fupid_ajax-fans-in-centre-glasgow_sport http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3gt90m_ajax-fans-bij-celtic-bar_sport