Genuine threat or scare mongering? Up until the attack on the asian fans at Metalist I was convinced it was largely hot air.
Obviously when the cameras roll the police will be much more proactive. Wouldnt fancy foreign fans chances outside the ground though.
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Ended with 4-5 asian students sitting in the family stand at Metalist being attacked by home fans whilst the police and stewards watched.
There were some Asian students who were studying in the city supporting the home team from the family section. Had the home team colours and scarves on. The home tram ultras spotted them, blocked them from both sides, then just steamed in and kicked the Shit out of them. No one helping nothing. Weren't just one or two attacking, but dozens, and some poor ones must have taken 20-30 blows, and that's just what the camera captured. Terrifying.
When Platini was asked for an interview he declined what a surprise there then
If you watch it again one old boy in the same row is actually laughing.
Once they were patched up they were basically left to get on with it. Police not interested.
It's quite clear that the police really don't give a toss and nor do UEFA. There was a Ross Kemp documentary a few years back about violence in Polish football, it's very much in the ascendancy and nobody seems to be doing anything.
UEFA seem to be claiming that the Euros will help to iron out any problems within the game which is frightening.
It's not long ago that monkey chanting and abuse was common over here, and our far right also used football as a tool, I remember when Charlton drew at Chelsea in 1989 (the game that kept us up and ultimately relegated them) seeing National Front people recruiting outside.
Of course it's scare mongering. It's shown a week before the tournament has started!
What grates on me, is that it is the usual blatant scare-mongering in the lead up to a tournament. More justified this time than most previous tournaments granted. BUT the media/FA/general public did not give a flying one when 2,000 of us travelled out just 2 years ago for a qualifier, the majority of whom returned without any problems.
Latest line of bizzare decions down the years though:
England v Tunisia in Marseille anyone?
Vs Germany is Charloi (sp) in 2000.
And I dare say Euro 2020 will be in Turkey.
Yet England were threatened with not hosting a tournament when a few fans ran on the pitch to celebrate against Turkey at SOL etc.
Every tournament something like this comes up, everyone was told not to go to South Africa because you will get shot, we were told that in Germany all the Polish, German and Russian hooligan firms were planning big meet ups.
That said what was shown at the end of the film was shocking however seens like that are quite familiar even in other more developed nations, Italy and Spain spring to mind, I have seen racist abuse out there first hand and it is disgusting. But we also shouldn't forget that it wasn't that long ago scenes not too dissimilar to that were seen over here, my hope is that over time like in our country it will die down (as it will never be truly eliminated, there will always be a minority of idiots) but that will only come about if the governments and other organisations work to achieve that.