No Sri Lankans Were Injured As This Post Was Written
Jun 12th, 2016 by 'holic
I thought it about time to share some things with you. Yesterday (Saturday) I spent a day at a major sporting event with a full house of mixed origins. We drank all day, the crowd were appreciative of the efforts by those on both teams. There was no abuse of Sri Lanka or their smiling supporters, only a sense of well-being.
At 8pm as England were kicking off their Euros campaign I boarded a train homewards and followed the events of the evening on Twitter. Now I didn’t see all of the footage live, so may have a less than accurate view on what transpired. Hindsight is a wonderful gift and has been applied heavily today. Yes, having England play Russia anywhere at 8pm was perhaps asking for trouble. Putting it on in Marseille added to the high risk of the fixture.
What is particularly disturbing about the events at the end of the match is that there was little protection for a crowd that included women and children when the Russian gangs infiltrated a section containing England supporters. The nature of England’s travelling support has changed since the bad old days and few of those in the section that was attacked were ‘hardcore’.
It is a tragedy for football that the growing ‘family’ nature of those following it should be subject to such appalling behaviour. Terrified, they fled over fences designed to keep them in, and the Russians out. The stewards and minimal police presence did little to restore order, it appeared. It is fitting that only Russia have been charged over the events of the evening, and worrying that French politicians have called for action against both countries. It’s time to look in your own backyard, you hypocrites.
That isn’t to ignore the acts of the England supporters who congregated in an area of town pre-match where they knew full well that groups of locals as well as Russians would entertain their desire for a degree of muscle-flexing. These are, I’m assured by those who are out there, a minority. Thousands of England fans avoided the known trouble spot and drank with locals and Russians elsewhere and had an entirely different experience.
The reaction to the events in Marseille and the attacks by the French locals on Polish and Northern Irish fans is to have alcohol bans prior to future matches. Alcohol is not the issue, however, and the majority of supporters who have travelled from around Europe to celebrate the Euros will pay the penalty. Those committed to determine who are the alpha males in France will continue to seek each other out.
By the end of the tournament it is likely that we will see that it is not only Russians, English, or indeed French, who have minorities of idiots determined to take advantage of the strange policing of the event. Let’s be clear too, that the authorities have much worse than marauding football hooligans to worry about for the duration of this championship. It is worrying though, with that in mind, that supporters are able to bring flares, and indeed a flare gun, into a stadium at a major tournament.
Let’s pray that Saturday was a wake up call for all involved in ensuring that this championship is played in a much better atmosphere. The vast majority of those in and heading for France will make great efforts to unite with football supporters of all nationalities. The sensational press will concentrate on those who don’t travel with that intent. Perhaps they too should consider their contribution.
And the gendarmerie, please consider an approach that protects those who have no desire to engage in such behaviour from the organised and hostile few. It is awful that you should have to, but innocents should be allowed to enjoy a festival of football, not fear for their safety.
78 Responses to “No Sri Lankans Were Injured As This Post Was Written”
Glad you had a good day out Guvna.
As you observe H, according to eye witnesses there were clearly major deficits in the policing. Calls for sanctions on both England and Russia by French politicians are missing the point entirely.
Thank you, my friend. It was one of the good ones.
Can you become the Emperor of the World. Even if only for a decade or two.
It would make things much, much, better!!
Heh, no Dubs, nobody should be that. ?
Wonderful post ‘holic – nail on head etc. Let’s hope the French police / authorities will deal with any future troubles in a better protective mode for the innocents.
England played better than many previous opening matches but Woy’s starting line up and substitutions were a little strange ( now where have we heard that before?). Should have been a comfortable win but they “spursed” it up – no surprise with all those LWC’s in the team.
Glad both the weather and yourself lasted the full day at Lords yesterday. Today saw less play and tomorrow seems a little bit the iffy. π
Nice one H
Test cricket wasn’t the only sporting contest played over the w/end where the atmosphere was convivial and the fans mingled throughout without fear of violence.
There were 3 cracking Rugby Tests played in the Southern hemisphere,kicking off with a really dogged effort against the odds by Wales against the All Blacks,where the Welsh only succumbed in the last 15 mins,to go down 39 -21.
Then an absolutely fabulous win by England in Australia,39 -28.
With England sealing the victory with a try right on the bell.
That was also the most points we have ever scored against the Wallabies.
Then to top it all off Ireland scored their first ever win in South Africa by 26 -20.
Every match played in a great spirit,no arguing and surrounding the Ref when a decision wasn’t to their liking,and best of all,no players diving or falling over as if shot at the slightest contact.
Great entertainment.
And best of all we get to watch it again next w/end.
Did someone mention a football tournament was on.??
Violence and football – hand in hand from the start. From day one.
and NOW you are appalled.
You hippies are something else, really.
Makes you wonder how effective France’s anti-terrorist measures will prove, should there be a need for them at this tournament.
Blaming everyone else won’t cut it after the event.
Civilization has its points to be recommend it. Sad to see the uncivilized coming to the fore again.
H
Great post although I stopped going to England games years ago because the fans embarrassed me. There is still a small right wing element that spoils it for the majority who are thoroughly decent.
The locals that Bath mentioned have proved a real irritant and the possibility of violence with Russian fans in Lille next week is very concerning.
Every country now has Ultras but if alcohol was the issue the Irish who proceed happily around the continent would always be in trouble. They know how to drink and behave.
Lords must have been an oasis of calm. I drink much more at Lords, The Oval and Twickenham than I ever do going to football and there is never any trouble.
Glad you enjoyed a decent Test match old chap
Germany looked good going forward but the defense does not install the confidence that they may wish for. Ukraine were unlucky that they missed their chances and also had Neur in great form as ever. Yarmolenko looks a player and could be a target for us assuming Henrikh will not come.
England played well, the tempo was good but the old habits of safety first, specially second half meant russia took the only real chance they had. Wales england will be a cracker hopefully and for once i hope roy lets someone else take the corners than kane.
Granit looked good but i liked Riccardo as well and would love to see that deal come through. A tough tackling, marauding left back is great to have in the team, no disrespect to nacho.
No news on the Arsenal front. Henrikh supposedly set to decide by this week, vardy still pondering( he has time on the bench anyway) and no sign of the cb we need.
On a side note, brazil knocked out again and how the mighty have fallen, Blatant handball not given does not take away the fact the giants are a pale shadow of their former self.
Cowardly and cretinous cunts the lot of them! If anyone wants to fight; catch them, detain them then extradite them off to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya to fight like the tough macho-men that they think they are. Fuck off you ginormous cunts, the lot of them!
Thank god for the Euro’s!
I must say, I’m enjoying the Vardy! π
But Russian MP Igor Lebedev criticised French police and called on Russian football fans to “keep up the good work”.
“I see nothing wrong with football fans fighting. On the contrary, well done to our boys! Keep up the good work!” he tweeted.
“What happened in Marseille and other French cities is not the fans’ fault. It is down to the police’s inability to organise and hold such events,” he wrote in a separate tweet the same day.
Mr Lebedev said fans needed to be “protected”, adding: “We’ll deal with them when they get home”.
———-
Perplexing.. first he encourages them to fight and then says they will be dealt with when they return..!
On another note.. not an unexpected result.. seeing the spud heavy team..!
Come on Tomas and Cech!!
π
What a pile of shite international football is.
Oh joy, we’ve signed Kelechi Nwakali. Let’s have a party (and not invite Vardy)
What a team Italy are. Their centre forward “Pelle” can’t even make the Southampton first 11, yet they’ve gone out tonight and utterly schooled a Belgian team full of “superstars” who have given a serious lesson in the art of defending. Enthralling game of football and probably the best game we’ve seen so far. Gianluigi Buffon is 40 years old ffs..! Conte is arguably the only international manager at the tournament who’d get a job in the PL.
Did any of the Azzurri NOT get a yellow card in that ‘art of defending’ lesson, Joe?
Cynic@18: Let’s hope Nwakali turns out to be the new Vieria he is touted to be.
Then all we’ll need is the new Henry and the new Adams, Ned…
They’d all be like a new signing, Chris..
Great post H. The scenes from France are very disturbing. You kind of wonder if the French actually had any tactics to deal with such incidents. Clearly their intelligence systems have failed miserably.
Some great points above, especially from those taking about how vastly different it all is at other sporting events. I must say that I don’t envisage any situation in the near future that would involve me going abroad to watch a game of football. I just can’t be bothered with it.
Have we signed anyone else yet? I get the impression that we are still looking for bargains rather than the quality that we really need. Still, with Big Ivan pulling the strings what could possibly go wrong????
I still get the impression the really big names would prefer to join Manure or the chavs, both without CL football next year. Money talking louder than trophies, ie.
How come Belgium are ranked #2 in the world? Some decent individuals, but what have they ever won? They remind me of Spain decades back when they had many of the world’s best players but were unable to play together as a team because of regional antipathies. Is that Belgium’s problem? Flemings and Walloons not getting along?
Chris,
Certainly some players would but apparently Kante has put us as his number one priority. Frankly if a player of that quality wants to join you at the price quoted it’s something Wenger has to consider seriously.
I was talking to an adviser friend of mine who works with several large agents and he was emphasising how much influence agents have. If their client gets a great financial deal so do they.
Wenger has a great relationship with some agents and a poisonous one with others like Mendes who does Moaninho’s bidding( or the other way round) . We don’t often factor that into our comments on potential transfers .
As for Neakali he is a very exciting signing and at 18 may be a squad player for the first team next season . We have some exciting youngsters coming through.
Re: Chris @26. Maybe it is because the rankings have been turned over to a machine?
I suggest ditching the machine and turning the rankings over to a random nine year old child, whose randomness will be assured by, er, another machine. π
Never would have associated Blatter with hot balls.
TTG, agree with you that Nwakali looks an exciting prospect, and we have others coming through. It would be great if we could enter a ‘B’ team in a European league so they could play together competitively without having lumps kicked out of them on loan in the Football League.
We could have one hell of a next best thing side if this carries on. I can’t wait.
Pity we can’t have a couple of best things now, instead of the second best we appear to be more interested in (according to the media anyway).
There’s going to be a helluva scramble for players after the Euros.
Liverpool first up at the Ems next season.
Followed by Leicester and Watford away.
nice easy start. !!
followed by Southampton at home,Hull away and Chelsea at home.
Going to be friday night games as well for the first time this season.
Tough old finish as well.
last 4 are Spuds away,Utd at home,Stoke away and Everton at home.
My guess is St Totts day before the end of April.
Just Saying.
dead right Steve
listed as Saturday 29th,but will probably be switched to Sunday the 30th,
My birthday.
Will it be a celebration or a wake. !!
Our run-in looks full of potential banana skins but hopefully we will have the title sewn up by then.
Chelsea and Man City look to have the easiest run-ins. Mancs and the neighbours less so.
Full 2016-17 fixture list by match day:
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2016-17/jun/2016-2017-premier-league-fixture-list.html
Yeah let’s clear off the scousers first.
My boy reckons we should be top based on those fixtures.
Let’s hope so.
Week 2. Leicester City v. Arsenal. Could be interesting.
Ultra positive statement- We win the league at OT again. Well for all i care we win in march. Yet the wonderful feeling of seeing united players giving us a guard of honour led by mou would be worth seeing and extinguish the pain of the last 12 years.
England Wales tomorrow and our boys against each other. jack and Aaron have done the talking, so let the games begin. I see england winning that but all i want is for our boys to be safe. Alexis continues to hog the headlines and i wonder if he will ever have a pre season with us.
Transfer news makes for dreary reading. We are linked to all but nothing progressive. latest about Henrikh makes me pukish as he is now apparently going to united. Can we get the cb please or we will be clutching straws.
Oh Ronniedo is both a bad loser and petty..who knew .. hahahah!
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36536445
On another note…the russian match commentary is hilarious..
Goes something like :
..smalloff just inches wide… slutsky is always looking serious… and could have sworn someone is names jerfkoff…!
π
What a Gooooooooooooooal!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5UMrYjJssE
Hope Alexis comes back in this sort of form!
π
If Mktaryan wants to go to Man United he has very small ambitions.
Post England v Wales piece coming tomorrow. Hope you are all well and most have better weather than I had to endure on the golf course today.
Yeah, I know, first world problems. π
U.S. Open at Oakmont this weekend ‘holic, and I saw some practice putts rolling off the greens. Any ideas on the winning score?
Copa America quarterfinal tonight USA vs Ecuador may or may not turn out to be a great game but I will be watching and hexing those nasty equator inhabiting foes. π
Wales v. England will be for another day. Tomorrow, actually.
Or today for those of you in the eastern hemisphere, including those of you who read this after waking up in the morning. Good morning, by the way. π
Turns out USA v Ecuador is Thursday night. Not sure why.
Is that Thursday night in the eastern hemisphere or western? And is today tomorrow? Or the other way around? Clockwise or counterclockwise? I’m very confused.
You missed Shatov, BB. π
Take a time out, ecg.
@56 Chris
That must be how their whole team is feeling at the moment…
π
There’s no need for Uefa to ban them.. they’re doing a good job of booking their ticket home it seems!
Better to be Shatov than Shaton
Talking of being shat on, I hope Bale, Ramsey, and their ridiculous hair get covered in poo later. The fate of the England team means nothing, but this is one game I hope they win by a cricket score.
Deli Ali is going to get himself sent off..!
Spurs are losing 1-0… Bale scoring!
Alli tried to do an Arnautovic on Ramsey in the first minute. Bastard. Probably one of the perps in the Piebury burglary and trashing.
Oh, oh, the Vardy could be over early at this rate!
π
..and Leicester score..1-1..Vardy!
Wales are absolutely shit aren’t they
Yes they are. A very poor England has dominated the game and rightly won.
Now, Bale⦠you were saying? Better than England? I think not.
Oh ang on, I take that back! π
The drinks have truly been electrified by this tournament.
Roll on the new season.
Adam Llanna gives me great hope. He does fuck all on the football pitch, apart from dead end dribble, misplace passes, and take stevieMe hollywood shots from 20 yards out that land into row K.
He gives me hope – as a 46 yr old weekend pick up player who has the same “unique” football skills – that I could get a look in the England set up. Anybody have Roy’s number?
Two crap sides produced a pretty dire game. Kane and Alli are struggling at this level. Sturridge is a cocky bastard and Vardy is quick. Sterling is playing as badly as anyone I’ve ever seen in an England shirt.
Hart is a very poor keeper and made another gaffe . Our best players were the two full- backs, Rooney and Dier but the team would be improved if Wilshere replaced Alli.
Kane look what we always suspected he might be????????
N.Ireland wins the water polo match!
π
TTG@69: England, the Spuds of International football. ?
This Euro has been relatively poor in quality until now. Only to be expected as the qualification round was extended into the first week of the tournament.
Where is Payet going to play next season? Not at WHU I hope. He may be an interesting option for us as someone who can play both the Ozil role and Alexis role and better facilitates rotation.
Holy moly is Ozil an amazng footballer.
These tournaments get very unwieldy and last too long. There have only been a couple of good games so far and eliminating eight teams from 24 is daft.
Glad to see Nortern Ireland do well tonight. But I’ve not shifted my position one iota on England. They haven’t got one world – class player. Today Ramsey was the best midfielder on the pitch.
Watching England v Wales was like watching a not very good Stoke v Everton game.
On a Wednesday.
When it was raining.
Arsenal sent me an email titled “thank you for updating your state field.” Can’t say WTF they are on about. Unless it has to do with my recent defection to Albania. π
To those who are left… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>