LONDON, Jan 30 (AFP) - Iraqi expatriates casting ballots for Sunday's elections clashed in northern England with opponents, leaving a soccer manager shaken when he was caught in the melee, television reports said.
Brian Talbot, the manager of Oldham Athletic Football FC, was shaken up when he got caught in the scuffles as he was passing the polling station in Manchester on his way to a Oldham's FA Cup match against Bolton.
After one of the people in the rival groups was accidentally struck by Talbot's car, a mob of more than 20 then surrounded the vehicle, smashing its windows and assaulting Talbot, a club spokesman said.
An Oldham Athletic spokesman told BBC radio: "Brian was very shaken up and his car was in a right state. But he has made it to the game and he just wants to get on with the match now.
"The players were shaken as well, but hopefully they will want to go out there and do it for the manager now," he added.
Sky television news also reported the scuffles, adding that the group opposed to the elections complained they gave legitimacy to the US-led occupation of Iraq.
Iraqi expatriates in Britain and 13 other countries have been voting for an Iraqi national assembly, the first democratic elections in 50 years.
01/30/2005 16:39 GMT - AFP