AFTER police in riot gear used tear gas on fans in Marseille for the Euro 2016 match between England and Russia, Neil Atkinson speaks to The Anfield Wrap’s John Gibbons, who was caught up in the tear-gassing, and Iain Macintosh who watched the incidents unfold.
// TAW SHOP
// TAW APP
// PARTNERS
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Any reasonably intelligent person had to know going in that the French police would be heavy-handed to quickly put down any anti-social behaviour during the Euros, especially considering what’s gone on in France during the past year. Some people clearly went to Marseille looking for trouble, and it only takes a couple to kick it off. There’s no definition of ‘normal football supporter’ that covers people who throw bottles at and antagonise police, amidst a security setting that’s already widely acknowledged to be tense. It’s infuriating that a few braindead ‘yobs’ — and that is what they are — can’t control themselves, and it results in all football fans potentially being seen in a negative light.
Had there been trouble elsewhere with the French police etc?
I know it’s our country etc but what are you doing following Ingerland anyway? Make sure you don’t get the words of No Surrender wrong or your fellow fans might turn on you.
It’s really simple. All football fans aren’t the same.
Of course – I am just surprised that a great set of lads like yourselves follow England. It’s wool behaviour.
John isn’t following them. He got tickets for one game in the ballot.
Interesting isn’t it, with all the reports of the Welsh fans intermingled with Slovakians and French, having big sing songs and the Irish intermingling with their hosts too!.
No French heavy handedness there it seems just people enjoying being at the Euro’s without being twats
“They’re just football supporters hanging about”. Just football supporters who “kick off” when they get taunted. Just football supporters who throw bottles and chant invective and dropkick morons off motorbikes.
What’s the cut off point? When do people stop being “just football supporters”? When does “just having a good time” become unacceptable behaviour? Does “It’s not the worst behaviour I’ve seen” really make it OK?
Was it just “one or two” or was it 200 responding “very quickly and with resounding force”? Because that’s not OK. That’s not OK for ordinary people having a holiday and wanting a good time.
I’ve been in a riot before, I’ve been baton charged by police, but not tear-gassed. That’s not OK either. But no-one comes out of this smelling like roses.
There just need to come a point when Police see loads of football fans with a small minority of trouble makers in it and think to go into the crowd and arrest the trouble makers, instead of just lobbing tear gas in the middle.
So what would you (Neil) have the French police do to restore order? And simply saying don’t use tear gas isn’t the answer.
Maybe you should recognise the problem isn’t the French police but those dickheads hellbent on causing trouble, even if it is a minority (like that’s okay) it’s unacceptable and is the reason football supporters are treated as they are regarding football specific legislation etc
Not sure it’s helpful to suggest people need to get over offensive songs guys, especially when those songs refer to terrible events when people have lost their lives.
It perhaps should also be strongly criticized that a motorist be kicked off his motorcycle. The still running motorcycle could’ve injured someone else just unfortunately caught up in the incident. If his goading makes that action understandable, then perhaps the earlier reported bottle throwing incident by an English fan surely leads to a possible justification of the next incident? Revenge may never be a wise course of action but could be seen as the action to take by some.