I see the England "fans" are doing us proud again.

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Just a commentary that when it comes down to it my(our?) gender is nearly always the one that nauses things up. We are crap at playing nicely.

Just spoke to my mate at work who has got back from Marseilles. He was in the end next to the Russians and in the square shown in the GoPro footage. He says it was the most shocking and terrifying thing he’s ever been in. Before the game they were drinking in the square and Russians groups of say 50 or so would come through dressed with Balaclavas looking like militants and looking for English. He and his mates ran as fast as possible elsewhere, where they would find another bar to sit outside at. Another Russian group would come through and they would scarper again. The police were tear gassing and water cannoning but the Russians would wait behind them and attack after that.

Sounds shocking and the comments from the GoPro vid suggest its just the beginning. TBH for the sake of football, just ban both teams IMO. And god knows what will happen in Russia for the World cup

A coach load of Russians detained in Nice according to Europe 1 so a few might be brought to justice.

Sounds shocking and the comments from the GoPro vid suggest its just the beginning. TBH for the sake of football, just ban both teams IMO.

The problem is they are there now, I’m guessing the Russian Mobs will be heading to settle some eastern bloc scores if they don’t have other games to play.

Northumbria Police Official Statement

‘Passports seized ahead of Euro 2016

As the summer season approaches more than a hundred people will not be allowed to travel abroad – because they’re banned from watching football.

The European Championships kicks off in France this week but the 164 football fans on banning orders in the North East won’t be allowed to travel after surrendering their passports.

The 122 Newcastle United fans and 42 Sunderland fans subject to orders in the Northumbria Police force area had until 7pm last Wednesday to hand in their documentation ahead of the tournament.

Most of those supporters handed their passport into their local police station before the deadline – but eight people failed to do it in time.

The supporters – who are all male aged between 17 and 30 – were visited by police officers over the weekend and had their passports seized. Six of them have now been summonsed to court for breach of a football banning order. The other two are set to be summonsed at a future date.

Operations Commander Chief Superintendent Steve Neill will lead the English delegation of officers in France this summer and said strides have been made to tackle football disorder in recent years.

He said: “Our Football Neighbourhood Policing Team regularly engage with our local communities and warn supporters, young people in particular, about the consequences of getting into trouble at the football.

“Many don’t realise that invading the pitch, being verbally abusive or even being part of a group who are causing trouble can leave you with a football banning order and unable to travel abroad.

“We will continue to use this power and hope those who have had to surrender their passports have learnt just how much of an impact these orders can have on your life.

“I’m proud to say that in recent years our football fans have worked really closely with police and partners and deserve huge amounts of credit for the way they have behaved when following their team.”

– See more at: http://www.themag.co.uk/2016/06/122-newcastle-fans-banned-travelling-euros-newcastle-united-sunderland-fans/#sthash.UAaEovy6.dpuf
From a story in the NUFC mag a little while back, it is getting harder and harder for the UK nutcases to get out to these events, if you want a fight then they will find one, and most likely not be able to go abroard during a major tournament again.

With anything a small minority do get through but from previous years the majority are not there to cause trouble. I Don’t know what steps if any the Russians have taken (Or the European police forces to prevent them entering.)

Don’t know what steps if any the Russians have taken

Sounds like they paid for their air fares and sent them off with a cheery wave.

You should be aware of the links between dodgy Russian politicians/Oligarchs and not only ‘Ultra’ football hooligans, but also biker gangs. In a lot of cases they are virtually a private extra-judicial militia for some very aggressive neo-fascist politicians and associated groups. Their violence is endemic, and they’ve been implicated in loads of dodgy stuff (investigative journalists getting killed etc) where its handy that Putin and his cronies can deny any involvement. It serves as a warning to those who fancy criticising or asking awkward questions of the present, utterly corrupt regime in Moscow, and the extremely dodgy company it keeps

Be under no illusions: football hooliganism like this, and the behaviour we’ve witnessed over the last week, is effectively state sanctioned

More Russians are being investigated in Marseille this morning.

Looking at this from north of the border, I think it’s fair to say that the ‘English disease’ as it was once known has, since the disturbances against Ireland in the 90’s, been on remission. People will talk of individual incidents like Millwall, etc…. but in the main, We’ve not seen the huge problems like we used to when England play abroad. The work carried out by police in tracking down the organised hooligans and dishing out banning orders has played a huge part in that IMO.

It must be horrible to be involved in the likes of those disturbances in Marseille for the innocent fans, lots of you are quick to blame your own, and that’s understandable given what used to go on, but there are always a lot of contrubuting factors, it’s not a black and white argument.

One thing that’s true though, is that yer average young male Brit abroad really doesn’t know how to behave, and needs to learn a bit of respect for our neighbours.

I know if I was there, I wouldn’t be anywhere near those main squares either btw.

And god knows what will happen in Russia for the World cup

They should never have been awarded it in the first place.

As I said ages ago, if the English nutters decide to travel (assuming we qualify) to exact revenge for what happened in Marseille then things could end up very nasty.

As I said ages ago, if the English nutters decide to travel (assuming we qualify) to exact revenge for what happened in Marseille then things could end up very nasty.

as above their passports will be removed long before the tournament.

For the WC in Russia I worry more about the innocent fans

@convert

That’s a bit patronising. I’m sure the ladies can swing a chair with the best of them. Also, the idea that women are a placid breed goes against everything I experienced growing up with two sisters 😉

A coach load of Russians detained in Nice according to Europe 1 so a few might be brought to justice.

Nice!

Theotherjonv
The was one major incident on Thursday, about 200 English fans drinking in the old town square singing the xenophobic songs and generally intimidating everyone who came near

The French police tried to disperse then with teargas, many of the fans responded with bottles at the police

As this was in the centre of the town it was easily photographed by reporters and the French police.

Those fans were idiots. In an age of CCTV and camera phones anyone caught lobbing stuff at police will get prosecuted and that’s when the arrests were made, I believe English police are studying the pictures now so more arrests to follow.

The violence carried out by the Russian ultras seems to have been in the backstreet alleyways looking at vids on Twitter, where the police had virtually no presence and the ultras kept moving constantly rather than staying in a big chanting easilt arrestable sunburnt mass like the English

Personally I think you’d have to be out of your ****ing mind to be heading to Russia for the World Cup. Its obvious that it was corruptly awarded, but given the side of Russian football this has exposed, and the reaction of the present Russian Government mob (collective shrug/borderline bragging), it looks like its a disaster waiting to happen. Would anyone bet against there being deaths?

For the WC in Russia I worry more about the innocent fans

Anyone who thinks supporting England in Russia is a good plan needs their head read.

With a bit of luck, the city allocation will leave fans the prospect of the charms of a fortnight in Nizhny Novgorod (day trip to Dzerzhinsk, anyone?)

as above their passports will be removed long before the tournament.

Well yes, that is usually the case but I am sure that if a hardcore of them really want to travel they will find a way.

I’m not so convinced that Russia 2018 will be as big a nightmare as it would appear currently.

There will be vastly more ‘normal’ Russian fans going to games to dilute the Russia hooligan influence; secondly I can’t imagine a Russian police / army riot squad to be something that plays fair and the fear of that might curb the excesses.

I’m still not going though…..

The French police tried to disperse then with teargas, many of the fans responded with bottles at the police

It seems the default approach by the French security forces is to use tear gas – and whilst I do not condone what the English fans did, going in like that is always going to cause a reaction.

Does anyone know if they actually tried integrating with the fans, showing a high visibility approach and engaging with them, chatting to them and generally taking a softer approach than just deciding to lob in a few grenades at the first sign of trouble?

@kimbers: don’t get me wrong – there is a substantial nobhead presence still among England ‘fans’, even if it’s a small proportion of the overall, a small proportion x a lot of visiting fans still = a substantial number. And they will gravitate to each other, and act badly, and they deserve what is (legally) coming to them. As the article said – banning orders, passports confiscated, etc. Throw the book at them; not a chair or an iron bar.

As others have said. If i was there supporting, i wouldn’t be in the town square with the mass of dickheads because it’s not my scene and it’s not what i go to football for. I’d probably have been in a small bar with my mates in an alley somewhere else, but as has been seen, that wouldn’t necessarily have kept me safe against others intent on bad things.

The world cup will be a Putin showpiece, it’ll pass without incident.

The world cup will be a Putin showpiece, it’ll pass without incident.

This. They won’t allow them to shit in their own nest.

French CRS totally lost control. If you watch some of the other videos from the same YouTube account you can see a mass charge by Russians as the CRS stand to one side, no intervention, no tear gas. They are clearly afraid (understandable) and certainly outnumbered.

Russian World Cup should be cancelled. Full stop. Absolutely no doubt the bid was won via corruption and now we have this clear indication of what the security situation will be. With it oikely there will be yet another change at FIFA its time to cancel the 2018 tournament

I’d probably have been in a small bar with my mates in an alley somewhere else, but as has been seen, that wouldn’t necessarily have kept me safe against others intent on bad things.

This is exactly what Jamie Vardy’s wife was doing, having lunch in a Bistro when they where tear gassed. I have been to Marseilles a few times inc for Rugby WC in 2007, the old port and its bars and restaurants is the place to go. Its all within a few 100 yards of each other, terraces, sunshine, view of the boats and harbour.

and whilst I do not condone what the English fans did, going in like that is always going to cause a reaction.

I’m in no way advocating police brutality and agree a light-touch approach works much better to prevent violence. However, can you imagine the outcry if a mob of drunken foreign football hooligans went on the rampage in a British city and the police had stood by? I remember when Rangers fans went on the rampage in Manchester, the general feeling was that the cops were far too lenient and should have kicked the **** out of them, so England fans can’t really complain when they’re on the receiving end.

The world cup will be a Putin showpiece, it’ll pass without incident.

I agree. There’s no way Putin will allow any trouble on his own doorstep. I still wouldn’t go though. If the Russian hooligans continue to do their worst, as well as ejecting them from the tournament, UEFA should be threatening a boycott of the Russia world cup. I suspect it would go quiet very quickly.

I’m in no way advocating police brutality and agree a light-touch approach works much better to prevent violence.

What I am trying to say is that (from what I gather from news reports regarding the French approach) is that their default reaction is to throw in the tear gas to disperse fans. However by doing this they simply cause confrontation – a few beered up idiots is all it takes and when they start lobbing stuff back it quickly gets out of control.

What you see in England these days is a police presence that integrates with the fans, laughing, chatting, generally keeping the mood fun and relaxed.

I do wonder whether the Russian plan was to wait for the English fans to get a bit rowdy and, with the confusion of the tear gas and bottles been thrown back and forth, jump in with their quick-fire attacks.

It is such a shame though that we are here at another tournament and all people seem to want to do is discuss the trouble rather than be amazed at what has been, for the large part, a great tournament so far.

the old port and its bars and restaurants is the place to go.

Les Goudes or Montredon would be my choice.

Its all gone bit TripAdvisor 😆

Ambience ***
Convenience **
Cleanliness **
Service of Local Police *
Friendliness of Locals *

Oh yeah, you get a far better class of hooligan south of Parc Borely.

This is exactly what Jamie Vardy’s wife was doing, having lunch in a Bistro when they where tear gassed. I have been to Marseilles a few times inc for Rugby WC in 2007, the old port and its bars and restaurants is the place to go. Its all within a few 100 yards of each other, terraces, sunshine, view of the boats and harbour.

How much violence and tear gas did you experience then out of interest?

🙂

Appreciate that Edukator but the tourist infrastructure is around the old port and both of those are further away from the stadium. In particular Les Goudes (google is my friend). We stayed up by the Cathedral in an Air B&B type place but it was dead around there.

@tmh no Russians or CRS, just lots of grumpy Aussies and Bokkers taking the piss

I agree. There’s no way Putin will allow any trouble on his own doorstep.

Makes sense now. They gave the ultras a free pass to cause shit at Euro 2016, in return for being in bed by 9pm and helping old ladies across the road at WC 2018.

Russians fined €150000. That’ll teach ’em!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/14/russia-handed-suspended-euro-2016-disqualification-fined-150000-uefa

And a suspended DQ.

martinhutch – Member

Anyone who thinks supporting England in Russia is a good plan needs their head read.

You know how usually we stop the headbangers from travelling? I think we should lay on free charter flights to Russia.

im not justifying them, im as embarrassed by topless English louts abroad as anyone, but I have been to Marseille to watch football and trouble does seem to just find you there.

Bolton were playing Marseille in the UEFA cup, we were sat outside that irish bar in the old port, everyone in good spirits with the occasional singalong. then before you knew it we had been barricaded in by a army of riot police, if anyone tried to leave they were shoved back, no reasoning or explanations just callousness. this understandably got a few people a bit irate and things got a bit heated. but then missiles started flying in; cans, bottles, rocks etc. there was a firm of French hooligans behind the police! they had just come to cause trouble and it appears the police were actually protecting us. but these kids pelting stuff at us made Bolton fans even more desperate to break the defences so the plod started clobbering folk. it was a nightmare and all caused by the polices poor handling of the situation.

Just a note on our green stripey shorted friend:

In a bold move, he is accompanying the natty boxer shorts/trainers ensemble, with a tartan hat. Very brave.

So you’d rather the police hadn’t been there and left the gangs to do their worst to you, Maholo? The police are used to dealing with these people, it takes a bus load of CRS to get a fire engine into some parts of Marseille.

and chanting ‘ISIS, Where are you?’

I don’t understand all the “How awful, they were singing anti-ISIS songs”. Would you rather they were singing pro-ISIS songs?!

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