Just been listening to a report on Radio 4 about Euro 2000. The German Police Federation have recommended that English (and I assume Turkish) fans be banned from attending. The report then continued on into our bid for the World Cup in 2006.

Tony Banks was interviewed, and he actually said two things that I agreed with. (This is an absolute first - I have no respect for that man at all.) Firstly, he said how stupid it was of the Denmark authorities to have arrested people, and then let them go without charging them. It seems to have be 54 arrest, 14 of which were English. As he pointed out, if they had been charged, we could have put a restriction order on them - as it stands, we can not.

The other point he made was that we are in danger of talking ourselves out of the running for the World Cup. I think that is very true, swift and positive action with the minimum of media speculation would seem a better way forward.

Also two very odd (and rather negative) quotes from Graham Kelly and the head of the Everton Supporters Club. I can`t remember them accurately enough to pass them on.

Personally, I never thought our chances of getting the World Cup were very good anyway, despite having hosted international competions here before that seemed to go quite smoothly. I believe, however, that any repeat of the behaviour in Denmark at Euro 2000 will completely wipe out any small chance we had of winning the bid.

Thoughts on the subject anyone? (:o)

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2000

Answers

This whole episode in Denmark certainly hasn't helped. But wherever it was held in Europe, there's likely to be trouble. On Hold the Back Page last night on Sly they reckonned there's only been two international tourneys recently where there has been little trouble. USA '98 and somewhere else (doh!). By coincidence (or not) England were not represented at either. On that basis, perhaps they should hold the next comp on the moon. That would make the ball behave even more stangely than it did in Mexico.

To be honest, this is not only an English problem. However, we have been given a bad name and it will stick. The Dutch are no better, nor the Jormans (imagine if a Turkich side had been playing in Jormany with their recent history of riots etc).

No, it is a cultural problem. IMHO, if it is to be held in Europe, they need to have authorities who can handle it. The Danes clearly couldn't. I'd hope the British Bobby could handle it a lot better.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2000

Sceacher - I totally agree that it`s not just an English problem, and that good marshalling/policing is necessary. I do think that our much malingned British police force do do their best, but are seriously hampered by open borders etc., lack of support from overseas forces, and probably lack of funds too. Do the FA, UEFA, FIFA, FCs etc., have to pay for the policing of competitions do you know?

I also agree that cultural differences trigger problems. Add to that the ignorant loutish element who will use any excuse, but don`t need an excuse really, and you end up with a very difficult situation to control. I beginning to think that, though we talk of the dark old days of hooliganism being behind us, I feel that it won`t take too much to fan the remaining embers back to life again. How sad that will be.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2000

Gal, I'm probably going to get shot down here by someone more knowledgeable. but what the heck....

I do think the major hooligan element is under control. By that, I mean the gangs of yobs that used to terrorise every match every Saturday afternoon. Now, I'm not complacent enough to believe that it is all behind us, and episodes like those witnessed in the end-of-season Nationwide match (can't for the life of me remember who but it was for 1st/2nd place) still show the problem hasn't totally gone away.

The most frequently seen incidents of violence are when the international aspect comes in - both club and country. The yobs who are at the core of this are not football fans. They simply use the football as an excuse for their thuggery. We saw this in that TV documentary a while back. I only wish the authorieis could do more about it. I guess it's a bit like the terrorist problems - they know who is to blame but can't always find the evidence to prove it in a court of law.

No answers I'm afraid, but it p*ss*s me off to see English fans blamed unilaterally and having heard that Jorman on the news, it is clear he has a hidden agenda.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2000

I don`t know what the solution is either - but sometimes you just have to have a bit of a moan! (:o)

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2000

Ban the English fans? Always assuming that the finals are indeed staged in South Africa, what crowd controlling measures do you think we'll see employed? How many English fans will bother making the trip for that matter? We'll all be too skint after paying to watch the domestic league on telly match by match to afford any such foriegn jollies. I doubt anyhow that the Enlgand team of the future would qualify for the finals, and who wants to travel all that way to support Scotland?

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2000

Gibbo, You'd be surprised how many of the thugs would be prepared to travel to South Africa. These guys know no bounds when it comes to looking for a bit of bother. I suspect for that lot, money is no object. Just another "job" or two to do to fund their travel.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2000

...and once the 'yobs' find out that a bottle of beer costs less than 30p., in South Africa (at current exchange rates)...?

And accommodation will be dirt cheap + sunshine, beaches, I don't think the yobs will stay away - all in all, cheaper and better than going to Benidorm (Softie?).

:-(

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2000

Might be the answer to all our prayers. I think England hooligans would look lovely with burning car tyres round their necks. Let them go out on the piss in the townships, that's what I say: I'd pay to watch that!

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2000