Well I have watched the news footage over the last couple of days about the riots at euro 2000. So far all the stories have been about british hooligans. But so far from the pictures I have seen police wading in on supporters, while the supporters tried to get away; what looked like some one running up and throwing something at some english supporters sitting in a cafe; some one throwing a chair and you couldn't tell what nationality he was; English supporters yelling at advancing police; and a bar owner complaining about english supporters ruining his bar after tear gas was shot into it.

I'm not defending anyone or any actions, but I haven't yet seen action of groups of people fighting each other, and only two instances of people throwing something at some one else.

And the only time you could distinguish people as english, was when fans were shouting at police converging on the corned fans. English fans chanting after their win over germany and dancing in fountains, and fans talking about the heavey handedness of the belgium police.

What I'd like to see is the nationalities of the total number of people arrested or detainded and those who are convicted. Becuase at the moment we are only being told that english hooligans are rioting and not about other nationalities.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Answers

According to the BBC website, Turkish fans had a bit of bother last night after beating Belgium and smashed up bars with English people in in Brussels. What got to me was the BBC headline 'English Fans Caught Up In Riots', implying that we had something to do with it.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

The world being such a fair and equitable place, it'll all be sorted when UEFA have their secret meeting to which the turks won't be invited, and a 'communique' is issued stating that the turks will be chased if it happens again.

The timescale may make it difficult, but the idea is to work their way through the whole lot, chasing them home one by one, so that come final day there'll only be the jormans left. Hence the cup goes back where it belongs.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

If you watched Newsnight last night the question to the man in Brussels: "Any trouble". Ans: "No, just a few hundred Turkish fans throwing bottles. It's what we've come to expect."

That really annoyed me. It's OK to be a violent Turk!!!

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Exactly, If it were english fans chucking bottles it would be flashed across every tv channel and newspaper, double standards. Also as stated yesterday, england fans have now become targets after UEFA threat. Well guess what happened last night?? Turkish supporters converged on a bar where the english fans were drinking and started smashing windows etc, trying to get a reaction, thankfully they didnt. UEFA just havent got a clue!!!!!!

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

It's becoming more and more obvious that the "riots" have been blown out of all proportion, based mainly on the number of arrests. There arrests appear to have been blanket gathering up of all English people in an area - one deported guy was there on a museum visit! 2,000 Turking fans go on the rampage yesterday and as far as the reporting goes it seems there were no arrests. The riot police marched down the road to clear the area. Meanwhile the Belgian chief of police is quoted as saying they've been far too soft so far on the English thugs and they'd better watch out, adding that he's sure no innocent people have been arrested!

The Belgian policing has been unbelievable. Targetted at England fans, regardless of how the trouble has started. The figures quoted by Jack Straw et al show that there are no more than a handful of real violent thugs out there. The rest have been caught up in almost hopeless situations. Opposing fans (Turks, Belgians, Germans, Swedes) are running into the biggest gathering of England supporteers they can find, provoking trouble, and at the first sign of a reaction, in come the riot squads and another few hundred arrests.

Even the tabloids are beginning to smell a rat now!

I'm sure there have been a few cases where real English thugs have gone looking for trouble - probably the ones who have been actually charged with an offence other than being English, not having identification, or "looking at me funny", but probably no more than most other countries.

You just have to look at the difference between the situations in Belgium and Holland (Where we lost!) to know the Belgians have targetted the English from the start. Maybe we shouldn't blame them for wanting some payback for Heysal (another horrific and tragic example of inappropriate policing)

It will be interesting to see what UEFA will do in the light of the Turkish riots last night - probably nothing - 'cos of course 900 Turks haven't been arrested.

Some of you scoff at conspiracy theories and go on about the lager lout attitudes that pervades the English abroad (and I certainly agree that this is a real proplem), but wise up! The UEFA announcement is aimed at ensuring the German bid for the world cup is the only realistic European bid! Look at the make-up of the UEFA executive (1 Swede, 1 Norwegian, 1 Swiss, 1 Turk and 2 Germans according to yesterday's radio, though I'm happy to be corrected)

I hope our reporters are banging on the UEFA official's doors demanding what they are going to do about the Turking Hooligans.

I'm feeling very pissed off and Jingoistic today!

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Is there any wonder there is hooliganism when idiots like this are in charge?

Christian de Coninck, assistant commissioner of police in Brussels, yesterday described the English hooligans as "inhuman".

He said: "They were inhuman beings, using that violence. I think we were too soft on them. Our people are ready. Our officers have proved they are well trained, they can react quickly and efficiently - I think your hooligans should be worried."

It's just like him saying "Our brother's bigger than you brother, come and have a go if you think you're hard enough"

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Thanks De Builder, That's the guy I was trying to quote above!

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

OK. It's clear that there will be trouble tonight. Probably not caused by English scum but by Turks or others. We will be chucked out of the competition.

I vote for losing heavily to Romania so that they go through and not the Germans!

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Don't agree Geordie. We must make it as awkward and difficult for them to chuck us out, as we possibly can.

A monumental thumping for Roumania, and a boatload of goal for AS.

What an 'up yours' that would be.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Read this from Sky News - including a statement from a bar-owner defending English fans! Sky News

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Jesus, Geordie, and people call me pessimsitic ((-:

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

"Jesus, Geordie, and people call me pessimsitic"

A fair statement of summation, but I didn't think the son of god would get involved! :~}

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

And since when have Geordie and the son of god been one and the same person?

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

We've had the HAND of God, so why not the Son of.........?

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

From Guardian Online.

Wayne Hodgkinson, an England fan from Nottinghamshire, who said that he was punched and kicked by a group of "Turks", said: "The scary thing is that these guys aren't even pissed."

How dare they? He seems to suggest that getting trollied out of your head is the done thing when you join a riot.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000