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.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

Just out of interest, if football is indeed the problem, what is it about the game itself, a form of entertainment when all is said and done, that attracts hooligans? I don't think hooliganism existed in anywhere like today's levels in the 1940s and 50s etc, so what is it that has changed? Society itself has changed, policing has changed, sports have become more 'professional' and money orientated. But there are plenty of aggressive and pushy parents and competitive coaches throughout the sporting world, so why does this translate into violence in football as opposed to rugby?

[LittleLionMansMummy]

And also why is it that certain clubs (Leeds, Cardiff, Millwall, England or whatever) that seem to have either more of a reputation for or an actual problem with hooligans?

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

Fay ita lived with my for years, It should have been such a special night for me. But it was always the minority and nothing to do with football.

Oh I have always and always will wear my green shirt with pride but I think we were voted the best fans in USA 94 and we've never been any different. Football is about enjoying it just makes me sad this still happens

[MuddlingMackem]

It would be grossly unfair to ban England from championships because of the fighting.

As other posters have said there are thugs who use football a means of instigating a punch-up and it would be wrong to penalise genuine fans. Plus, as has also been pointed out, English football organisations and the police have very successfully dealt with the football related violence problem in England. Perhaps the police in France should as welcoming to our policing methods as their country has been to the thugs who necessitate them.

[Zampa]

Why is it that certain clubs (Leeds, Cardiff, Millwall, England or whatever) that seem to have either more of a reputation for or an actual problem with hooligans?

I'm a Millwall fan and I know that at the "bigger" games (local derbies, Wembley etc.) we attract a group of people who are there for the day out, drinking and fighting. These aren't the 10,000 who manage to support the club week in and week out, without causing issues. The day trippers are attracted by our reputation, which is, these days, quite undeserved!

[MitzyLeFrouf]

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?

He died after a fall. He was not caught up in any violence. Poor form on your part to try and imply otherwise.

[DoinItFine]

I don't see the aggressive parents or over-competitive coaches in other sports eg athletics or swimming

LOL

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Or tennis.

I've never heard of a pushy tennis parent............

[DoinItFine]

Maybe they shouldn't do rough things like sport and spend their time in tbe theatre?

Never heard of a pushy stage parent.

Or riots after a play.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

Zampa I know it's mostly undeserved and do feel for fans such as yourself. I recently declined to take my 5yo ds to the Barnsley/ Millwall game for this reason unfortunately. I had hoped I was wrong to make the decision but the scenes at Wembley justified it for me I'm sorry to say. Thankfully they were nothing like the scenes in Marseilles though. Mind you, on that occasion I don't think the situation was helped by your manager calling for a 'hostile atmosphere' which the thug element tend to take literally. Although nothing sinister was meant by it, I think managers have a public responsibility to engender positivity around match days - especially family occasions like Wembley. Stuff like 'let's see a good game of football and a great atmosphere for all fans'.

[TheNaze73]

YABU. In the 60's it was mods & rockers & today it's football that people attach themselves too. Societies problem more than footballs & that's coming from a rugby fan

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

Never heard of a pushy stage parent

Really really stage drama school parents are the bloody worse I know one that takes pride in the tag "momanger"

Not all stage parents are like this the reason I know this person is because my god daughters best friend elder sister is actually quite successful and she playfully calls her mum "the momanger" to wind her up!

[booklooker]

Travel is not a right, it's a privilege.

I very strongly disagree with this statement Lweji that's where fascism starts.

[Lweji]

You may disagree, but you do need passports to many places. Entering a foreign country IS a privilege. We were talking about travelling between countries, btw.

[Lweji]

I've never heard of a pushy tennis parent............

You should read Andre Agassi's bio.

[Lweji]

No, it's a right.

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

It's not so much people not being allowed to leave, it's the entering.

Think about it.
Then relate to the immigration issue into the UK too.

[squiggleirl]

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.
Nobody made English fans throw bottles at police with riot shields. That was their own behaviour. People have to take responsibility for their own actions. The reputation of English fans is based on both current and past behaviour.

Massive steps have been taken to improve behaviour at Englad away games.
Improvement means nothing given the abysmal reputation for violence and degenerate behaviour that some people have displayed to cultivate the awful reputation of an English soccer supporter. The reputation was the result of awful behaviour. Improvement means nothing to those being attacked physically and verbally by some English soccer supporters.


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.
Why does having a professional league equate with football violence. Take a look at the Irish soccer squad over the years, and you'll see how many are part of the English professional leagues. There's always been a significant Irish participation in the English premiership, and as a result a significant number of Irish supporters travelling to games in the UK. That doesn't translate to violence at Irish international matches.

I don't think the violence, aggression and intolerance exhibited by some English soccer supporters at international soccer matches is limited to soccer. It is indicative of a larger-scale problem. I have unfortunately had limited experience of racism and aggression because of my nationality. Unfortunately, on each of those occasions it was English people made those comments, and behaved the way the did. Nobody provoked them. Most of the time, comments were made purely because of my accent. None of the occasions were at any soccer-related event. I don't think the problem is soccer, it is an attitude problem with some people.

[Waltermittythesequel]

and plenty of violence and hooliganism on their own streets unrelated to football.

Plenty??

[BoneyBackJefferson]

squiggleirl

England "supporters" have an unfairly bad reputation, it comes from a time when other countries that had equally as bad "supporters" but needed a scapegoat.

[squiggleirl]

I don't buy that excuse boney. Even if English fans were being used as scapegoats, that was only possible because they were behaving awfully to begin with. As I said earlier, nobody 'made' people throw bottles at riot police.

Others have referred to what happened in 1995 at Lansdowne Road at a friendly match. Those were English supporters, who unleashed unbelievable violence without provocation.

Rather than offering excuses, would it not be far better for people to demand that criminal behaviour be dealt with harshly within their own countries, and not allowed travel to other nations to poorly represent their own country? It is a real pity that English soccer is linked with some a deplorable image. Everyone knows the vast majority of supporters are there for fun and because of their love of the game. However, you can't just gloss over the violent criminal element linked with English soccer that endanger players and other supporters.

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

Sorry but it's not unfair at all boney

It was not the Irish fans that were ripping up the stadium singing no surrender to the IRA just because they were one nil down in a friendly game. The Irish supporters were looking forward to watching a match, what should have been an absolutely magical night turned to a night that many many teenagers and children were scared for life.

I might agree that England are not the only country with the hooligan problem, and possiably not even the worse, I've seen footage of worse in Italy and Spain just to name a few.

But an unfair reputation it is not! If you think it is I can only presume you do not understand the effects such events have on innocent people even the players that are involved. Go and listen to interviews with David Kelly, Jason mcateer and Alan Kelly who were all playing for English Clubs but for Ireland then say the English fans reputation is unfair!

[Waltermittythesequel]

Unfair reputation? Sorry, but hardly!

The facts literally do speak for themselves.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

Can we stop referring to them as football fans please? They're hooligans, yobs, thugs and racists. I'm a football fan. I'm not a fucking racist yob. I like football. And I happen to be English.

[IamaBluebird]

Would like to add that Cardiff have won family club of the year more than once recently. We've had no bother since our move to the new stadium.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

squiggleirl et al

I'm not saying that it isn't earned, What I am saying is that other countries have "supporters" that are just as bad (or worse) yet they don't get the same bad press as the English "supporters".

It is unfair in that other countries have the same problem yet it is hushed up and passed on as those English "supporters" are at it again.