Football Dynasty-Chapter 211: The Outburst at the Police Station

Brawling fans were nothing unusual in the United Kingdom—both the media and public had long grown numb to it. The only reason this incident drew so much attention was because the brawl erupted on London Bridge, a public place, with everyone in hoodies—as if it had been planned in advance.

At the police station, the TV crackled to life.

[...During yesterday’s English First Division match between Millwall and Manchester City, gangs from both sides clashed in an alley after the game. The brawl escalated and spilled onto London Bridge. Amid the chaos, a 12-year-old innocent boy was caught in the violence and is now in critical condition at the hospital...]

Richard sat quietly on a bench, his coat draped over his shoulders. In the holding cells beside him, both Andrew Bennion and Carl Morran sat in separate cages, each nursing their own bruises in silence.

Thankfully, Fay—anticipating that things would spiral out of control—had already called the police in advance. Now, he and Marina paced anxiously in the station’s hallway, waiting for answers and praying the situation wouldn’t get any worse.

Some of the Guvnors’ boys accused Richard of attacking Andrew Bennion. But when the police tried to get statements, everyone seemed confused.

Some said Richard smashed the bottle, while others claimed they were too drunk to see clearly.

Even Andrew Bennion and Carl Morran refused to say anything.

"Richard Maddox," the officer said, entering Richard’s cell with a sigh.

He couldn’t help but curse the guy who’d been running his mouth recklessly.

’Even if it’s true, so what?’ he thought.

At the end of the day, it was just a matter of bail. Still, they had to follow protocol and formally arrest Richard, keeping him in custody around the clock until someone posted bail.

Luckily, his lawyer showed up quickly, making things easier for everyone. They only hoped they hadn’t offended him.

"Thank you for your hard work, officer," Richard said as he stepped out of his cell.

The officer straightened up, eager to make a good impression. "No problem at all."

The passerby in front of the police station cautiously kept their distance, looking inside with horror, thinking the people inside were hooligans.

Not far behind, some of the Guvnors had split into two groups—one accusing, the other pretending not to remember what happened. Both sides argued fiercely over a sense of betrayal.

"Fuck you, coward! Are you really scared of the police? How long have we been fighting them, yet you’re the one who’s too afraid to stand up?" one shouted, voice dripping with contempt.

"Don’t act like you’re so tough!" the other shot back.

"Fuck you!"

"You’re a damn idiot!" He couldn’t hold back any longer and grabbed the other by the collar.

"Are you out of your mind? Andrew might be able to live on the streets, but what about you? You’ve got a family — kids, a wife. Do you really want to make Richard Maddox your enemy? You want Maddox to come after your family? Do you want the police breathing down your neck 24/7? I’m a football fan, not some punk. Don’t let your kids grow up wasted like you. Listen carefully — stay out of this, and get as far away from it as you can."

"..."

Richard was just about to leave the police station when he stopped. He glanced at the officer beside him, then toward the cell holding Andrew Bennion.

"Officer, may I?"

The officer’s eyes flicked nervously as he exchanged a glance with his colleague, clearly hesitant.

Richard then turned to Fay, who was standing behind him. "Please donate £20,000 to Stretford Police Station. Let’s say Maddox Auto wants to show appreciation for all the hard work the police have done."

Hearing the mention of the donation, the officer immediately changed his mind.

"N-no worries, sir. Please, right this way."

He then grabbed his keys and unlocked the cell.

Richard stepped inside.

Shepherd, Barry, Fay, and Marina stood outside the cell, utterly bewildered by his actions. Anxiety quickly took over. ’What the hell does he want to do now?’

Who was Bennion?

He was a tough guy—the one behind the Guvnors gang.

No one could say anything if he suddenly went berserk. Richard had smashed a bottle over his head just like that—three times!

Some were even questioning whether Pock’s head was too tough or the bottle too fragile. Either way, he wasn’t bleeding...

Richard stood over Bennion and said, "If you weren’t out there causing mayhem under the Manchester City banner, I might be more pleased."

Bennion’s expression turned cold at Richard’s words. He retorted, "I’m not your enemy. This is our first meeting, and you’re already hostile? My father’s a City fan—I grew up one too. You’re just some kid who recently took over City. Compared to me, don’t get too full of yourself."

Richard had no interest in banter. He sneered coldly, "Let me tell you something—Manchester City is mine now. I can make it soar or vanish from Manchester—all at my discretion. Who do you think you are? I don’t care if you call yourself a fan. If you damage City’s reputation or cost me financially, I won’t just lock you up—I’ll wipe your whole crew off Manchester. You really think I’m bluffing?"

After making his point, Richard threw his coat over his shoulder and turned to walk away, but his words left Bennion dumbstruck. Reflexively, Bennion grabbed Richard’s arm, not letting him leave so easily.

"OFFICER!!!"

Thankfully, Marina and the other officers whose eyes never left the cell responded quickly.

Sure enough, the police officers didn’t even use their batons—they immediately shocked Bennion with a taser, catching him off guard and temporarily clouding his mind.

"Fuck you! Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what I just said? You scum—don’t dirty my clothes!" Richard cursed Bennion harshly, then turned to the officer who had tasered him.

"This guy was the main instigator at London Bridge. Lock him up for good—let him learn his lesson before he makes more people suffer!"

With that, he turned around and stormed off, followed closely by Marina, Shepherd, Barry, and Fay.

They all hurried after him, still baffled by the situation. It was the first time they had ever seen Richard so furious—again and again.

Just when they thought it was finally over, Richard came to an abrupt stop. Without a word, he turned to Shepherd, his legal solicitor, and leaned in to whisper something.

Shepherd gave a silent nod, understanding immediately, then turned and strode back into the police station.

Meanwhile, Richard threw open the car door and climbed in without looking back—Marina, Barry, and Fay following close behind, still trying to piece together what had just happened.

Inside the car, no one spoke.

Richard closed his eyes, trying to process everything that had just happened. Then suddenly, he remembered something.

"Wasn’t Manchester City supposed to face Leeds today in the League Cup quarterfinals?"

"Is that so? How did it end?"

"Well... we were a bit occupied with your situation here—we completely forgot about the match."

Richard nodded at that, then leaned forward slightly. "Turn on the radio."

There was no way they lost... right?

But for some reason, Richard had a bad feeling about it.

Upon taking charge of Arsenal in 1986, George Graham led the team through a pre-Premier League era of glory, implementing a highly pragmatic style of play that featured a five-defender formation. Under his leadership, Arsenal won several trophies, including the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

However, one thing to remember—while Arsenal did win trophies, their playing style was... ugh. Let’s just say Arsenal didn’t exactly flourish under his management. Not only did neutral fans fail to embrace the team, but even their own supporters often felt disheartened by Graham’s style.

The team’s mantra became "1-0 football," and their record defense, which conceded only 18 goals during their championship season, left fans numb. Watching an Arsenal match felt akin to stepping into a library—exceedingly dull.

Now, George Graham has decided to bring that same style to Leeds United, and Richard knows... he will succeed there.

The radio crackled with excitement.

[...What a header from Brian Deane! Leeds United have sealed the deal! George Graham is back! He’s ready—no, eager—to teach Manchester City a lesson they won’t forget...]

In other words, John Robertson stepped in as caretaker manager... and he lost his debut match.

Manchester City was out of the League Cup.

"Stop the car!" Richard suddenly shouted as a sharp thought hit him.

"Turn around—let’s go to Ric’s bar."

Fay, who was driving, glanced sideways to where Barry just shrugged in response.

"Got it."

With that, they quickly made a U-turn and headed back toward Ric’s bar once again.