Some of my “Foreign” FB & Twitter mates have been annoying me with moronic snide remarks about hooligans, so Iam afraid I needed to rant. Normal service will be resumed later.
In 1976 I thought I was lucky to get the chance to travel to a European Football match in Marseilles with Southampton.
In the build up to the game, we were attacked by gangs of mixed race French thugs. They attacked bars, they stabbed individual fans in the shopping streets simply because they spoke English. They charged at us in the Stadium attacking Female old age pensioners with sticks and baseball bats. The Police stood and watched this happen until eventually they had no choice but to intervene after they too were targeted. Eventually they used tear gas to chase the “French” away and escorted us to our transport with their weapons drawn
After the game our convoy of coaches were stoned and chased by people on Motorbikes as we headed to the airport. Our coach was actually shot at, narrowly missing the driver.
Of course, the Press initially blamed us because we were English & Football fans (terrifying my Parents at the time), but the local Southampton press recorded and reported everything.
The airport check in area looked like a field hospital, fans with stab and glass wounds, some on stretchers and drips. The truth came out and we were eventually praised for our restraint.
In 1998, England fans were again “involved in scenes” but then after the stereotypical press reports, came stories that the Dutch and German fans had also “Rioted”, finally a Sky News reporter went out into the suburbs and compiled a report on the actual make up of many of the attackers - and yes some UK press branded it as being racist.
Other games over the years have witnessed similar scenes. Nobody RIOTED, they were targeted for Racist attacks by thugs who are as well organized as any Terror Organisation. - And THAT is the real worry here - how easy has it been for this to happen? FORTY YEARS this stuff has been happening to football fans in that City, and the French Police are supposed to be keeping the supporters SAFE?
The FACT is that English football fans are no longer hooligans, they moved with the times and if you read some of the actual reports from the Police embedded with the fans you will see that once again it is the so called “citizens” of Marseilles who are trying to provoke this trouble. English (and football fans in general) are not Saints by any means, (Many English fans are equally racist scum)but there is one common thread to this story - PLANNED attacks.
What UTTER MORON continues to begin to imagine that the City of Marseilles is FIT to hold International Football matches? Were the French not supposed to be on High Alert?
Surely 40 odd years of THE SAME THING HAPPENING had to overweigh the local Political (or even Corrupt Bungs) that were implied to assign football matches to such a toxic and broken society.
The City and most of its inhabitants are a fine place. It simply has an evil underbelly that for some reason the authorities keep sweeping under the carpet.
By all means continue to make the snide “racist” “It’s the English Hooligans” comments on Facebook & Twitter.
It isn’t. Some idiot fvcked up in assigning matches to that City in these times. That person should be named and shamed and held accountable.
Somebody will get very seriously hurt. It will have been for a few cheap votes or somebody’s brown envelope.
When the “English” we’re rioting back in the old days, was there no element of racism in that? Or were they all good old fashioned boys after a bit of a punch up?
If a city is that bad then the authorities do indeed need to impose sanctions such as no matches being held there.
But when I see English fans doing Nazi salutes and singing anti-Islamic songs I think it’s fair to say that to claim that we no longer have a hooligan problem…well, if it were a horse it would be shot in the parade ring.
Yes, thankfully most troublemakers have been been controlled by banning orders BUT we still have a minority of fucking morons out there.
It didn’t take a genius to workout what would happen down there after last time. It’s why I’ve not taken my lad and why my mates are all staying elsewhere and only travelling into the city today.
Plenty of Stokies I know, both old school N40 and youngsters, who drink in my mates pub, were licking their lips in anticipation of getting “revenge” and travelled out just for that. At least 4 of them have done time for huge ruck at OT when England played Wales.
It’ll be just as bad for the Wales game and then they’ll all come home.
Not going to get drawn into a debate - the key issue in '98 as reported in the press was the “make up” of the “French” that attacked the fans attending WC matches in the City.
Ditto in '76, the lad from our group who went to the bathroom and emerged with three knife wounds was followed in by two lads who either had spent a lot of time on the beaches or were ethnically from another part of the planet.
I can assure you that the only songs we were singing that day were the French versions of our classics - such as “pour sons les Saintes, Se something something en”, as we shared beers and laughs with the actual locals.
FFS the whole planet knows that bloody Einstein meme “Insanity is when you keep doing the same thing and hoping for a different result”
My point is the decision to allow games in Marseilles was insane. Other sets of fans will have small minorities who also remember what happened to them in '98 or before.
So much for French Intelligence Services minimising risks and threats.
Was out for a while last night so only got to the boozer in time to see the last few minutes, and the winning goal last night. The place went crazy and I turned to the bloke next to me saying how good this was that the hosts had won the first game of the competition with almost the last kick of the match and how it had set the tone for the whole event and the guy didnt share my enthusiasm. He kindly let me finish and then said to me sadly, I am Romanian. Opps. We had a great chat though and he is going to watch as many matches as he can in the local because he loves the atmosphere. This, for me, is what football she be about. Plenty of rivalry but bringing people together. A few of us are having a barby this afternoon at one of the guys houses and will be watching the Wales and England games. Gary the Romanian has been invited and says he will come along. Was feeling a bit meh about the Euros before but have finally got the bug.Happy days!
So they thought, let’s get England back there again! I would prefer to focus on the football, but of course this is Euro 2016 and the whole package. Hopefully things will calm down?
Shame Albania have had a man sent off, they had come back into it and it was turning into a good game. I have been surprised at how well Albania have played, but then I’ve predicted them to be battered in every game in my work predicted score competition.
Switzerland in control now, but been a good game so far. Shame the Albanian captain had a crazy moment as it was looking like they might get back level.
I see Ludwig, who obviously posts on here under what name I don’t know nor do I care, has been saying on TSW how us “ex-hoolies” are loving the trouble, me in particular.
No, we’re not, as it’s stopping us taking our own kids as it was all totally predictable.