mcal@ihuxb.UUCP (Mike Clifford) (05/31/85)
Reports are that soccer teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be banned from European soccer as part of the aftermath of the Belgium riot caused by British hooligans. The ban is a good start! Mike Clifford
nyssa@abnji.UUCP (nyssa of traken) (06/03/85)
>Reports are that soccer teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern >Ireland will be banned from European soccer as part of the aftermath of >the Belgium riot caused by British hooligans. >The ban is a good start! Only English teams have been banned. With the exception of Celtic, Scottish teams in Europe have had an exceptionally good record in recent years. Aberdeen supporters frequently receive very nice comments about their politeness abroad. Hooliganism is a major problem in European football, not just English football. In a recent trip to Amsterdam, I arrived at Amsterdam Zuid train station while Feyeenoord supporters were returning to Rotterdam. In order to get out of the station, I had to be escorted by Dutch riot police. (Ajax and Feyeenoord in Holland may now have the worst repu- tation in Europe.) Look at riots surrounding recent Spanish matches. The big problem is that the English clubs tend to export trouble. In the last year both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been fined due to the activities of supporters. Baiting English supporters now seems to be a frequent happening when English teams go abroad. What appalls me about Brussels is that I suspect only the English will be punished (quite severely). Although they do share the blame, so do the Belgians and the Italians. Why were tickets sold on the day of the match (In violation of an agreement by European sports ministers)? Where were the police when the riot started? (Ans: outside Heysel Stadium) Why were Juventus supporters allowed to bring aggressive banners into the match? Why were Juventus supporters allowed to bring firearms into the match? (Recent evidence indicates that shots were fired at the police by Juventus supporters after the match began. In addition, many Juventus supporters took up Liverpool colours and made trouble during the match in order to get Liverpool into trouble.) From what I have gathered the course of events was as follows: 1. Liverpool supporters were sold tickets in the Juventus enclosure on the day of the match. (Fault: Belgian authorities for selling the tickets, Liverpool supporters without tickets for going to the match to create the demand.) 2. Liverpool supporters in th eJuventus end were attacked. (Juventus) 3. Fights continued, as there were no police to break them up. (Belgium) 4. Liverpool hooligans, seeing the opportunity to fight, surge towards the Juventus enclosure. (Liverpool) 5. The fence collapses, Liverpool hooligans attack Juventus hooligans. (Belgium, for providing inadequate segregation) 6. As Liverpool hooligans surge into the Juventus enclosure, the far wall collapses, which resulted in the majority of the deaths. (All, based on previous events) 7. As the match begins Juventus supporters in Liverpool colours bait the authorities (Juventus). Belgium have already absolved themselves of any blame. The head of UEFA (The governing body of European football) is Italian. You tell me how blame will be apportioned. -- James C Armstrong, Jnr. ihnp4!abnji!nyssa The Boss gave me one of these, ten seconds, he said. Let's see if it works...
edtking@uw-june (Ewan Tempero) (06/04/85)
>Hooliganism is a major problem in European football, not just English >football. In a recent trip to Amsterdam, I arrived at Amsterdam Zuid >train station while Feyeenoord supporters were returning to Rotterdam. >In order to get out of the station, I had to be escorted by Dutch riot >police. (Ajax and Feyeenoord in Holland may now have the worst repu- >tation in Europe.) Look at riots surrounding recent Spanish matches. Yeah, remember what happened after the '82 world cup. The Italians went wild and *that* was when they won! -- Ewan ------------ Ewan Tempero "Oh no, not again" UUCP: ...!uw-beaver!uw-june!edtking ARPA: edtking@washington.ARPA Please check all nuclear arms at the door.
jacques@gcc-bill.ARPA (Jacques Hugon) (06/14/85)
>7. As the match begins Juventus supporters in Liverpool colours bait >the authorities (Juventus). > Where did you hear about this? I have not followed the incident closely, and I therefore cannot claim that what you are saying is not true, but I have a genuine hard time believing you are going to see Italian fans dress up in Liverpool colours, mingle with the Liverpool crowd (speaking English with an english accent?) to start a fight with the people they usually sit with during the regular season games, just in order to get the Liverpool fans in trouble (who sure don't need help usually). I think it's a shame that the English teams must be punished for the irresponsible behaviour of their fans. At the same time, it is not the first time if I recall correctly (Liverpool-Bayern in Paris a few years ago?) that Liverpool fans act this way. How much is rumor and how much is truth then in the provocation story you are relating? I ain't a Juve fan either. -jh -- Path: harvard!gcc-bill!jacques "America is the only country in history which has gone directly from the age of barbarism to the age of decadence, without the usual interval of civilization". --George Clemenceau (French Statesman) ( :-) )
nyssa@abnji.UUCP (nyssa of traken) (06/19/85)
>>7. As the match begins Juventus supporters in Liverpool colours bait >>the authorities (Juventus). >> >Where did you hear about this? I have not followed the incident closely, >and I therefore cannot claim that what you are saying is not true, but I have >a genuine hard time believing you are going to see Italian fans dress up in >Liverpool colours, mingle with the Liverpool crowd (speaking English with an >english accent?) to start a fight with the people they usually sit with >during the regular season games, just in order to get the Liverpool fans >in trouble (who sure don't need help usually). The Juventus fans picked up the colour off injured Liverpool supporters in the Juventus end during the riots. This was initially reported on BBC-1 by Neil McFarlane, the UK Minister for Sport. It is ironic, but Liverpool have little to no history of fan trouble, but it has adversely affected other English teams. >I think it's a shame that the English teams must be punished for the >irresponsible behaviour of their fans. At the same time, it is not the >first time if I recall correctly (Liverpool-Bayern in Paris a few years ago?) >that Liverpool fans act this way. How much is rumor and how much is truth >then in the provocation story you are relating? One: The trouble was between Leeds United and Bayern in Paris, about 10 years ago. Leeds have not been in Europe since. The most troublesome English teams in Europe recently have been Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. The most troublesome teams in England have been Chelsea, Leeds, and Derby. (Three years ago, rioting Derby fans cost the opponent a chance at promotion when the match had to be abandoned!) Chelsea were on the verge of Europe this year, and there was talk that the English FA would not allow them to play. -- James C Armstrong, Jnr. ihnp4!abnji!nyssa I have not come as your prisoner, Davros, but as your executioner.