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Armed thugs behind the Egyptian football massacre were let into the stadium to avenge the ousting of President Mubarak, it was claimed.

Armed thugs behind the Egyptian football massacre were let into the stadium to avenge the ousting of President Mubarak, it was claimed.

Many of the 74 dead and 250 injured backed last year's bloody revolution which overthrew the tyrant.

Yesterday opposition leaders said cops DELIBERATELY ushered in yobs armed with machetes, knives, iron bars and fireworks.

They allegedly ABANDONED security cordons and WATCHED as a 13,000-strong mob of Al-Masry fans — Mubarak supporters — rushed hated rival fans of losing side Al-Ahly.

Local MP Albadry Farghali screamed on live TV: "The security forces did this or allowed it to happen. The men of Mubarak are still ruling."

The Muslim Brotherhood — leading attempts to form a democratic government — also blamed Mubarak's men.

A spokesman said: "The events in Port Said are planned and a message from the remnants of the former regime."

Violence erupted in the northern city on Wednesday after home team Al-Masry beat Cairo side Al-Ahly 3-1. Many of the dead were stabbed and beaten. The rest were trampled.

Away fan Ahmed Ghaffar said he saw "layers of people suffocating inside a narrow corridor".

He added: "We were between two choices — either death coming from behind us, or closed doors."

Al-Ahly goalkeeper Sharif Ikrami — hurt in the clashes — said the entire team had now quit football.

Former Al-Ahly player Hani Seddik said: "These trouble-makers were not football fans."

Al-Masry fan Mohammed Mosleh said he saw "thugs with weapons" going unchallenged by cops.

At least 846 died at the hands of Mubarak's butchers in 2011.

Last night police in Cairo fired tear gas at demonstrators angry over the Port Said horror.

It was the worst soccer violence since 1996, when 78 were killed in a stampede at a World Cup qualifier in Guatemala City, Central America. - www.thesun.co.uk