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The Sun
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Hotel at centre of EFL star Kian Harratt's brawl bizarrely claims ‘no chairs were thrown'…despite woman floored by stool
THE Ibiza hotel at the centre of a poolside brawl involving EFL star Kian Harratt has bizarrely claimed no chairs were thrown in the now-famous fight. Its denial comes despite at least two clips showing suspiciously chair-shaped objects flying through the air and flooring a middle-aged woman. 7 7 Tensions flared between two groups at the Marco Polo Hotel in San Antonio on Saturday afternoon. Footage emerged showing a young Brit - now know to be Oldham Athletic striker Kian Harratt - lobbing a stool towards another guest but it hitting a lady. The striker broke his silence last night, admitting he feels "terrible" and "very apologetic" - but also levelled the blame at a poolside "bully". That man - burly Brandon Watkins, 31 - hit back at Kian, blasting: "I'm 6ft 4 for a start and I'm not a bully." Now, Vibra Hotels which owns the spot where the spat unfolded, has waded in - but it has caused only more confusion. A spokesperson said: "The fight in the pool lasted less than three minutes since our corporate security at the hotel acted immediately. "No chairs were thrown at any guests; the lady got in the middle, it seems that with the intention to stop the fight. "The lady was asked by our security members if she wanted to report to the police and file a complaint, but she said she was okay and she did not want to, that she just slipped and she was fine, and she thanked our security members. "It took less than three minutes for the incident to end since our security acted quickly, and as soon as they acted, the fighters left the pool area. "It really is a shame for us and for our teams to have to deal with this kind of issue, especially when people are supposed to come on holiday to enjoy and have fun, and not to act in other ways." Moment reveller is smashed in head with BOTTLE during brawl as Brits arrested One clip clearly shows a white plastic chair clobbering blonde lady on the back and sending her to ground - before another chair flies over her unmoving body. The whole fiasco has been followed by tit-for-tat swipes, but multiple sources have claimed Kian's group were the initial troublemakers. Brandon told MailOnline that the footballer had "provoked" his friends and the whole group were "looking for a fight". He said all had been peaceful during the five days of their stay before Kian and his gang rocked up. 7 7 7 The new arrivals were lobbing balls around causing trouble from the moment they arrived, Brandon claimed. He continued: "'They were just being a nightmare. One lad was winding us up. Kian was sat right next to him and if anything Kian was provoking him." Another Brit who was at the hotel, Kyle Crawford, told The Sun that Kian and his three pals were "being horrible" to a group of women before the clash. He said: "There was four lads, we didn't know who they were, being horrible to some women. "They were just in the pool splashing them and throwing balls at them - being proper immature." Another caught up in the fight told The Sun: "It was Kian Harratt. He was bothering these girls." 7
The Sun
27-06-2025
- The Sun
Brit branded ‘6ft 6in bully built like a brick' by Kian Harratt hits back at EFL star over Ibiza chair-hurling brawl
A "6'6 bully" Brit accused of sparking the Ibiza pool fight where Kian Harratt lobbed a chair into a woman has hit back and claimed the player was the key troublemaker. Shocking footage showed the 23-year-old Oldham Athletic striker launching a plastic chair during a bust-up at the Marco Polo Hotel in San Antonio on Saturday afternoon. 11 It decked a middle-aged woman who was trying to break up the ruckus. The striker broke his silence last night, admitting he feels "terrible" and "very apologetic" - but also levelled the blame at a poolside "bully". Kian said: "He was the worst man you could ever come across and a bully! He was 6'6 and built like a brick!" Now, that man - Brandon Watkins, 31 - has hit back at Kian, blasting: "I'm 6ft 4 for a start and I'm not a bully." Brandon told MailOnline that the footballer had "provoked" his friends and the whole group were "looking for a fight". He claimed all had been peaceful during the five days of their stay before Kian and his gang rocked up. The new arrivals were lobbing balls around causing trouble from the moment they arrived, Brandon claimed. He continued: "'They were just being a nightmare. One lad was winding us up. Kian was sat right next to him and if anything Kian was provoking him. "Next thing I knew Kian picked up a chair and threw it." Brandon went on to claim that Kian appeared drunk, and that other guests congratulated his group for seeing off the disruptive bunch. Brit tourists face holiday chaos with strikes confirmed for 180,000 hospitality staff throughout July on hotspot islands He said: "It's just outrageous for a footballer to behave like he did." Two videos captured the brawl, including one which appears to show the striker - wearing black shorts and with his distinctive goatee - launching the chair. Another Brit holidaymaker, Kyle Crawford, witnessed the bust-up and told The Sun the striker and three of his pals were "being horrible". Kyle didn't recognise 23-year-old EFL star Harratt at the time of the altercation - but confirmed his identity after watching the footage back. A second source who was caught up in the fight told The Sun: "It was Kian Harratt. He was bothering these girls." 11 11 11 11 Kyle said Harratt and his friends were "throwing little rugby balls" at the female tourists inside the pool, one of which being the woman who was struck by a chair later on. "They were just in the pool splashing them and throwing balls at them - being proper immature," he explained. Kyle claimed he and his mate stepped in to stand up for the women. "Me and my mates stuck up for them, and then in the end, they'd come to attack my mate," he said. He alleged that there was an altercation, and his mate was punched first during the ruckus. He said his pal hit back, and the whole confrontation "calmed down" for a bit. But shortly after, the player and his pals started hurling chairs towards Kyle and his mates, with one of the women who was initially being disturbed getting caught in the crossfire. "They start throwing chairs - they threw a chair at a woman," he said. And a second clip, moments after the initial throw, shows another man hurling a second chair, which knocked the other men into the pool. 11 11 11 The Brit tourist explained: "We just stuck up for her, the lads were just being idiots, immature. "This video doesn't do us justice for actually being gentlemen and looking after these women." He detailed that after the altercation, the men "all got kicked out", while Kyle says he and his mates were praised by staff for standing up to them. "All the staff around the pool said thanks and what gentlemen we were," he said. "The women thought they were idiots, immature and stupid."
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: What REALLY happened at the poolside punch-up? The so-called '6'6 bully' at the heart of the brawl involving a football yob speaks out
A holidaymaker at the centre of a shameful Ibiza swimming pool brawl in which British professional footballer Kian Harratt threw a plastic chair at a woman has accused the star of starting the mayhem. In shocking footage the Oldham Athletic striker, 23, was seen launching the chair into the face of an innocent middle-aged woman who was trying to break up the fight. Harratt has since claimed the fight was started by a '6'6 bully' who punched his friend. But that man Brandon Watkins, 31, hit back at Harratt's claim that he started it, saying: 'I'm 6ft 4 for a start and I'm not a bully.' Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Brandon insisted the player 'provoked' his friends and their whole group were 'looking for a fight' when they arrived at the Marco Polo Hotel in San Antonio on Saturday afternoon. He said: 'The fight happened on day five of our holiday. We'd been around that pool every day and getting on with everybody and making friends with people. 'These guys turned up and started throwing balls about. 'Several people were saying they're going to be trouble even before it kicked off. 'At one point one of his mates got in the pool next to me and just started aggressively splashing me. One of them said what are you looking at? 'They were just being a nightmare. One lad was winding us up. Kian was sat right next to him and if anything Kian was provoking him. 'Next thing I knew Kian picked up a chair and threw it. 'I got the impression he was intoxicated, they were sat near the bar before and if they were sober they wouldn't have acted like that. 'After the brawl happened people were buying us drinks and congratulating us, that's how bad this group were 'It's just outrageous for a footballer to behave like he did.' The viral video shows Brandon's group clashing with Harratt's friends before the unnamed woman tried to intervene and was hit by a chair. Several men including Brandon fell into the pool and another chair was thrown at them before hotel security rushed in to intervene. Brandon - who was on holiday with four school friends - stayed with the injured woman and her friends after Harratt's group were kicked out of the hotel and later helped her back to her room because she had broken her toe in the fall. He added: 'Would I have done that if I was a bully who was making them uncomfortable?' Brandon's version is also backed up by a close pal of the woman who was hit by the chair. The friend - who was sunbathing by the pool when the brawl kicked off - said: 'It was carnage, I've never seen anything like it in my life. My friend was injured. They were all just shouting and swearing at each other. 'She's an absolute angel and such a good person which is why she got involved - she saw people were arguing and she just went over to stop it. 'But when she did Kian spoke to her like she was a piece of shit and Brandon stepped in out of respect and said don't speak to a woman like that. Brandon threw the first punch then all Kian's friends got involved.' After the footage emerged Kian claimed he was 'very apologetic' and 'felt terrible' but accused the woman of 'going down a bit easy' The friend added: 'That's no apology, he has no remorse whatsoever. Him and his mates were kicked out of the hotel without apologising, he's only sorry because he has been identified. 'My friend is really embarrassed by the whole thing, it was a horrible experience made worse as people who have seen the video have been trolling her online. 'He's a professional footballer, a lot of kids look up to him and it's not a good reflection on his club.' The brawl comes just three weeks after Harratt fired Oldham to Wembley glory, scoring the winning goal in extra-time of their 3-2 victory over Southend United to earn a League 2 spot next season. Posting on TikTok, Harratt wrote: 'Just for the people who have seen the video circling the internet of me throwing a chair 'FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON' 'Here's the fella who started it all and let me just say he was the worst man you could ever come across and a bully! 'He was 6,6 and built like a brick! Anyway he was swimming over to young couples while they're all chilling and trying to make the lad feel uncomfortable flirting with there girls and all sorts of daft stuff like that! 'And one of my mates who is only 18 by the way jumped in the pool and started splashing him having a laugh like you do on holiday then it's stopped! 'After that my mate got out off the pool and the big fella shouted over to him wtf are you looking at so obviously my mates said to him I'm looking at you the fella has then flipped and started walking to my mate and the woman who gets hit with the chair is in this video here trying to stop him my pal then goes dancing over to him not expecting the man to punch him. 'But anyways he hit my pal in the face and dropped him and then proceeded to kick him in the face while he was down. 'The video cut off though after that obviously like any normal mates would do we've backed him up I tried staying out the way as I don't want the trouble a chair then got lobbed towards me so I picked the chair up and threw it back and it accidentally hit the woman who as you can see went down a bit easy but besides that I was very apologetic and I felt terrible. 'But I'd have felt even worse if we left my mate to get badly beaten up while he's trying to enjoy his holiday I hope this video opens peoples eyes I had to post it cause I've had nothing but abuse all morning and I'm sure this will clear it or so it should.'
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: Yob who knocked woman out with a chair during wild Ibiza poolside brawl is controversial footballer who scored in Wembley final just three weeks ago
A holidaymaker filmed hurling a chair which hits a woman in the face during a shameful Ibiza poolside brawl is English professional footballer Kian Harratt, MailOnline can reveal. Oldham Athletic striker Harratt, 23, can be seen launching the furniture in the direction of a middle-aged woman who was trying to break up a brawl between his friends and another group of Brit holidaymakers. After being hit the woman collapses to the ground holding her face while the other group fall into the pool and topless Harratt retreats out of shot. Since the video has been shared online on Sunday it has been reposted by the League Two footballer who has also shared various snaps of himself on holiday on the Spanish island. Brandon Watkins from Nuneaton, who was one of the lads confronted by Harratt's group at the Marco Polo Hotel in San Antonio, described the encounter in a post on Facebook. He wrote: 'Five lads came to our hotel being nobs around the pool splashing people throwing balls at women and one lad says 'what are you looking at' so he approaches me and I drop him… they then start throwing chairs because they couldn't fight and everyone knows how slippy it is round a pool so stopping chairs hitting us I slip in the pool and that's what went viral. Oldham Athletic striker Kian Harratt (black shorts, circled) appears to throw a chair at a woman in a video recently shared to social media 🪑😳 — The92Bible (@The92Bible) June 25, 2025 'If they let me get back out the pool or got in with me then they would have been slapped again but they didn't they got kicked out …. Everyone sat around the pool after was coming up to us shaking our hands and buying us drinks because the lads were bellends!' The incident comes just three weeks after Harratt scored the winning goal in extra-time of the 3–2 victory over Southend United in the final at Wembley to secure Oldham a place back in League 2 next season. But fans were quick to condemn his actions and urged his club to tear up his contract. One posted: 'He just can't help himself can he. I've defended him multiple times [and] even was happy when he scored the winner against Southend but you can't be throwing chairs at women Kian.' Another commented: 'I'll be stunned if he plays for us this season. Embarrassment, no way for anybody to act – never mind someone in the public eye.' Kian's mother Kathleen Duncan said she was also aware of the video but did not want to comment. She said: 'Kian won't be back til later. He's still on holiday. I think he's meant to be flying this morning. He was supposed to have landed in Leeds but he cancelled his flight because he missed it. 'He wouldn't be able to say anything [about the video] - it would be down to his agent. He will be back later this afternoon.' Raging tourists holidaying at the Marco Polo hotel in San Antonio started yelling at each other The striker scored the winning goal as Oldham won the National League play-off final on June 1 He has previously been banned from football for betting on games and fined for hare coursing and poaching It's not Harratt's first brush with controversy. Last year while on loan at Fleetwood Town from Huddersfield Town he was fined £1,000 by police after he was caught poaching in North Yorkshire. Police were called just before midnight on February 6 to investigate a vehicle being driven suspiciously around Whashton, near Richmond. A short while later Harratt, from Pontefract, and Daniel Luke Dimmock, 34, from Castleford were found carrying large black lamps, and with lurcher-type dogs on slip leads, police said. The men were searched, and their lamps and vehicle seized. They were both later charged with entering land as a trespasser at night with poaching equipment. They were found guilty of entering land as a trespasser at night with poaching equipment at Harrogate Magistrates Court on December 19 and fined £1,153 each, and ordered to pay hundreds of pounds more in costs and surcharges, according to police. He was also convicted of poaching at a farm in East Yorkshire in 2022 and fined £830, plus £233 costs. Also, Harratt was banned from football for four months in the 2023-24 season while at Huddersfield after placing 484 bets on matches over a three-year period. That came with a £3,200 fine and 36 of the bets were on Huddersfield games - though he insisted he was not in the matchday squad for any of them. MailOnline contacted the Marco Polo hotel in San Antonio, Ibiza, but they refused to comment.
