Euro 16 - they should ban the countries involved in fighting

[Sherlocked1606]

Having watched the news the past few nights it's seems clear some fans have just gone to France to cause trouble.

Yes the English fans were attacked/provocted today however they were very much the instigators yesterday.

Surely Russian, France and England football teams should be disqualified from the tournament. Same goes for any other teams who's fans cause trouble.

At least 1 England fan is seriously injured potential life threatening. I've seen footage of Russian fans stamping on English fans, throwing chairs. Water cannons, tear gas. Enough is enough, it's only football.

[twittwooery]

Germany and Ukraine fans now fighting

[derxa]

And it's other countries mostly attacking England

[Waltermittythesequel]

Wales, N Ireland and Ireland have their own teams - Scotland unfortunately did not make it through

Sorry, but this royally pisses me off. I always find it bizarre that people can't seem to pick up a history book, or even have a quick Google.

Ireland has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE UK so the fact that we have our own team is irrelevant.

That's first of all.

Secondly, someone upthread said Ireland fans have been fighting. NO they have not. And if you mean Northern Ireland, say Northern Ireland.

Thirdly, the England fans are absolutely not all victims of Russian Ultras. In fact, before the Russian fighting, England fans were fighting, smashing up bars, singing anti-IRA songs, and chanting "fuck off Europe, we're leaving anyway".

Hardly the behaviour of innocent victims of the big bad Russians.

I've seen England fans act like the absolute scum of the earth, which they are. Of course, they're no worse than the fans of some other countries. But they are certainly no better.

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

Thirdly, the England fans are absolutely not all victims of Russian Ultras. In fact, before the Russian fighting, England fans were fighting, smashing up bars, singing anti-IRA songs, and chanting "fuck off Europe, we're leaving anyway

Oh good glad to see England fans have moved on from the terrible night in Febuary 1995 when they caused a FRIENDLY to be abandoned because of the scummy minority, chanting about the IRA. (Yep I was a 14 year old Ireland fan the horror still lives with me what I saw that night)

The whole uk thing pissed me off but the posters defence was apparently people don't differuate, I know the people that are so uneducated tend to put Ireland in there too.

From what I've seen the northern Irish have been having a party not fighting. And Ireland are known as some of the best fans.

Having said that yes I agree it wasn't all the Russians England fans are their own worse enemies. I've seen it first hand. But I still know it's minority and to punish the majority and the athletes themselves would be ridiculous

[ThomasRichard]

YANBU OP, it's a national embarrassment. Russian thugs didn't 'provoke' them into smashing up cafes and throwing flares and glass bottles at the police.

[Alconleigh]

Bottom line though, for all those finding excuses and pointing out that other nations may be at fault, this doesn't happen with other sports though, does it?

[Alconleigh]

Wasn't the National Lottery established partly by an Italian who witnessed Heysel and concluded that something, anything, had to be done to help lead England away from utter barbarity and mindless violence?

[squiggleirl]

Well you will also ban Ireland and Polish fans too.
With soccer you've got to be more specific - these were Northern Irish fans you were referring to.

Mrsterry, I don't think the UK are involved in this, just England. Wales, N Ireland and Ireland have their own teams - Scotland unfortunately did not make it through.
Ireland is most definitely part of the UK.....

mrsterry I disagree, people see a difference between England and Ireland/Scotland/Wales.
Northern Ireland....

please please please please do not call the team managed by Martin o'neill ie the Republic of Ireland part of the U.K. It's a totally seperate country.
THANK YOU! I was beginning to feel the rage.....For the record everybody, the republic of Ireland is not part of the UK.

[squiggleirl]

Argh!

Mrsterry, I don't think the UK are involved in this, just England. Wales, N Ireland and Ireland have their own teams - Scotland unfortunately did not make it through
Ireland is most definitely NOT part of the UK.....

[ThomasRichard]

I think everyone knows that Ireland is not part of the U.K. and Canada is not part of the USA now

[squiggleirl]

By any chance are you from England ThomasRichard?

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

Just ban football altogether. Simple.

France does not need this. The French police do not need it, the French health system does not need it.

What is the point of football anyway?

[namechangeparents]

It's just been reported that a Northern Irish fan has died.

What is wrong with football? Can you imagine this happening at an athletics meet?

But it starts at grass--roots - aggressive parents, over-competitive coaches and then leads into the elite game. The players behave appallingly and the referees seem scared to act at times. If your overpaid players can't behave, what hope for the fans?

[ThisisMrsNicolaHicklin]

If it wasn't football the people doing this would turn to tiddlywinks or elephant polo or some such and turn those sports into a living hell. Sadly the world is full of twats.
The news this morning made me despair for all us humans

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

I think mrsNichola has just hit the nail on the head no it doesn't happen at rugby athletics tennis etc because it happens at football.

These people know very very little about the sport certainly don't care for it, they've sadly attached themselves to the game it could be international tiddlywinks rugby ice dancing or football for all they care!

[LittleLionMansMummy]

it starts at grass--roots - aggressive parents, over-competitive coaches and then leads into the elite game

No, this is not a football issue, this is a people issue. I wish everyone would stop making out there is something intrinsically wrong with football. Week after week football matches in the UK pass off peacefully, all over the country. Racists and thugs will attach themselves to any current trend - sport, politics, a local news 'headline' etc etc.

There was also a really interesting article recently in the Guardian by an expert in hooliganism who basically said that French methods of crowd control at major international football tournaments are hugely outdated and innecessarily inglammatory and they could learn a thing from their European neighbours, including the UK and Germany.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

Unnecessarily inflammatory

[randomer]

how do the far right think kicking somebodys head in is going to further their cause?

[Zampa]

Randomer It's about being part of a gang isn't it? Fun, excitement, escape, travel, adrenaline, camaraderie, identity ... the football and political ideology part are second to all that.

I'd really recommend reading The Football Factory. It challenged my view of football violence.

[chicaguapa]

I've been to France and Italy to watch England play football. I do get that there are some fans who are out to cause trouble, but I also feel that England fans are targeted.

In France there were loads of stories about trouble between fans but I didn't see any. I had my parents calling me to check I was ok.

At one particular game in Rome the England fans had everything confiscated going into the ground and we endured bottles of piss, bottle caps etc being thrown over into where we were standing. It was horrible. We were kept in the ground until 1am when all the Italian fans had gone home. Then we were let out. Most people had missed their trains. My friend and I had to sleep at the station until the train in the morning.

I also went to see my team play in Marseilles and our fans were on their best behaviour. Our team nearly scored and the excitement of that incited the police to tear-gas us. Bastards!

[FayKorgasm]

Naught I was there in 1995 too. They were an absolute disgrace to their country.

Nice to see the footage of the Irish fans singing and doing Rock the Boat. thats what football fans should be about.

[DoinItFine]

Travel is not a right, it's a privilege

No, it's a right.

Do you imagine that governments have the right to imprison people in the country on a whim?

I feel bad for the English fans in this. I think the Russian hooligans are very dangerous and are looking for fights with English fans based on a reputayion that is less than deserved in recent times.

Massive steps have been taken to improve behaviour at Englad away games.

I'm not English.

I could do without the self-congratulatory "best fans in the world" shite from people from smaller countries with no decent professional league of tgeir own, no history of football violence as a result, and plenty of violence and hooliganism on their own streets unrelated to football.

[wigglesrock]

namechangeparents the PSNI have confirmed that the NI fan died in an accident (a fall) and was in no way linked to any disorderly behaviour. You might want to have a wee think before you link some poor mans death and his family's heartbreak to a post lamenting fans and players behaviour.

[namechangeparents]

it starts at grass--roots - aggressive parents, over-competitive coaches and then leads into the elite game

this is not a football issue, this is a people issue. I wish everyone would stop making out there is something intrinsically wrong with football

I disagree, it is football. I don't see the aggressive parents or over-competitive coaches in other sports eg athletics or swimming, and I don't see elite athletes or swimmers behaving remotely as badly as Premier League footballers.

I do agree with you over French policing methods. It is not coincidental that there was no trouble in Germany - or in Holland during the Belgium/Holland euros - but was in Belgium. The French police said they'd do it their way and the English fans had to accept they were in someone else's country. Well yes. But the Germans policed a different way and there wasn't this sort of trouble.

[Zampa]

Serious quote from Igor Lebedev, Russian FA executive: "90% of the fans go to football to fight, and that is normal. Our guys stood for our country".