TEN men from Bolton have admitted violent disorder after a man was left fighting for his life following an attack on Chorley Railway Station.

The incident happened after a football match between Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United at the Reebok Stadium, Horwich on February 22 last year.

Steven Povah, 47, from Bolton, a Manchester United supporter, was attacked by a gang of Bolton fans as he was standing on the platform with two friends.

He suffered serious head injuries and was in a coma for several days. He was not released for around two-and-a-half months.

His friends Peter Smith and Anthony Penn, also from Bolton, were admitted to hospital following the incident. The attack was captured on CCTV and British Transport made several appeals for information.

Officers travelled to the US for the FBI to use advanced image-enhancing software on the footage.

The 10 pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court. They are: Anthony Bollard, 47, of Turnmoor Road; Ronald Brickles, 30, of Weymouth Street; Paul Kirkwood, 42, of High Avenue; John Bennet, 36, of Regents Walk; Anthony Charnock, 31, of Roundway; Gerrard Gallagher, 37, of Crompton Avenue; David Hough, 36, of Crompton Avenue; Timothy Hodge, 48, of Bury Road; John Norris, 40, of Bury Road and Malcolm Cooling, 42, of Tarbet Drive, Bolton.

Detective Chief Insp Alistair Cummings, from British Transport Police, said: "This was a long and complex investigation, not least because it involved officers trawling through hours of CCTV footage. What started as banter escalated out of control. It was a moment of madness by 10 men fuelled by alcohol."

The 10 men were remanded on bail for six weeks for pre-sentence reports to be carried out.