SUNDERLAND chairman Niall Quinn is being urged to lift a match ban on fans arrested after an incident with police.

Black Cats fans have launched an online petition that within hours attracted more than 300 signatures after the club banned at least 15 fans, including season ticket- holders, pending the outcome of investigations.

They were involved in an incident at Newcastle central railway station on Saturday, August 8, as Sunderland fans returned from a friendly in Edinburgh.

Four fans were injured from alleged police baton blows or bites from unmuzzled police dogs.

Forty-four people were arrested, some following press appeals in which their photographs were published, but no one has been charged.

Police maintained fans attacked their dogs, although they later said that none was injured. Fans maintained policing methods led to the trouble and that they were not the aggressors.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission’s initial investigation found no police wrongdoing. The Football Supporters’ Federation said some fans have received letters from the club banning them from matches until matters are resolved.

Federation chairman Dr Malcolm Clarke said: “Sunderland’s chairman has an excellent reputation as a man who truly values his team’s supporters, and if he can’t see that this policy is deplorable, then we might as well all just give up and go home.”

He said the federation was looking at whether the club was breaching its ticket terms and conditions.

Sunderland chief executive Steve Walton said the club did not tolerate anti-social behaviour, and added: “It is club policy to temporarily suspend season tickets or ban match to match attenders from the stadium in the event they have been arrested and are on bail or if they have charged with an offence, until the results of such an investigation or court action has been concluded.”

Police said no one had yet been charged and investigations were ongoing.