Season 99/00

Luton Town - Millwall FC - 11/03/2000

Source: http://www.lutontoday.co.uk - 15/03/2000

REVENGE FOR MILLWALL RIOT

POLICE this week blamed Luton hooligans for the violence that erupted in the town centre before Saturday s football clash against Millwall. They believe a local gang of thugs known as MIGS 2000 were out for revenge to mark the 15th anniversary of one of the worst riots in football history.Bedfordshire Police became aware weeks ago that MIGS members were planning retribution for the mayhem caused by Millwall s notorious followers during an FA Cup quarter-final at Kenilworth Road on March 13, 1985.They mounted one of their biggest operations for a Hatters home match for several years, drafting in 130 officers as well as police horses and dogs and a helicopter to monitor the crowd.Ten people were arrested, but football liaison officer Pc Peter Palmer said yesterday that contrary to a Sunday newspaper report, trouble at two pubs before the game was caused by Luton supporters.About 30 of them hurled bottles at the Duke of Clarence in Upper George Street and tried to force their way into the pub to attack Millwall fans peacefully drinking inside. Glass doors were smashed and the manager ordered his staff out of the bar for their own safety.Police had to deal with a similar flashpoint outside the Nelson Flagship in Dunstable Road an hour later at 2.30 when the Luton gang had doubled.Pc Palmer said rumours were circulating around the town that several people were stabbed, but police had received no official reports.He added that some members of MIGS 2000 are the sons of the original MIGS (Men In Gear) who formed in the 1970s when football hooliganism was at its height.About 1,500 Millwall followers travelled from South London for Saturday s Division Two game, which the visitors won 2-0. Although the two clubs have met several times in recent years, more rested on this game than any other since 1985 as Millwall are chasing promotion.Pc Palmer said: Luton v Millwall games are always volatile, but there was a greater threat of serious disturbance on this occasion. Millwall have a fierce reputation, but they did not live up to it. They were generally well behaved. The trouble was entirely due to the local hooligan element, which is quite sizeable, seeking revenge. They had remembered the anniversary and their attitude was, They ve trashed our town once they re not doing it again . The suspected ringleader was arrested during the Duke of Clarence incident and we may make further arrests after looking at video evidence from the town centre CCTV. We quickly dealt with the situation, but they swelled in numbers when they regrouped and laid siege to the Nelson Flagship on the way to the ground. They tried to intimidate Millwall supporters who were drinking inside and we stepped in to make further arrests. They were looking for further aggro after the game, but we did not give them the opportunity to do that. Terry Wood, relief manager at the Duke of Clarence, said: The place was packed and there was a good atmosphere until a gang of yobs gathered outside and started throwing bottles and glasses. I got the staff out the back, out of the way. The Millwall supporters drinking in here did not retaliate. In fact they apologised for what happened, even though it wasn t their fault. I m new to Luton and this wasn t a very nice introduction. Former boxer John Ashton, area manager for four pubs in the Luton area, including the Nelson Flagship, said: About 15 Millwall lads who are all ex-boxers contacted me before the game and asked if they could drink in my pub. They were as good as gold, but the police let a few hooligans go as they escorted them to the ground. They charged into the pub and there was a bit of a skirmish, with some glasses broken. The police operation was the biggest for a match at Kenilworth Road since Luton played Watford two-and-a-half years ago.Those arrested on Saturday are due to appear at Luton Magistrates Court on various charges, including threatening behaviour and entering a sports ground while drunk.Earlier this season, police slammed Luton supporters who could have sparked a serious disturbance, and caused a tragedy, when they set fire to the Welsh flag in the wooden main stand at the game against Cardiff City.

Honduras - Peru - 19/02/2000

Source : Press

Nigeria fine halved for pitch invasion - 10/02/2000

Source: BBC

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has halved Nigeria's fine given for their fans' unruly behaviour during the African Cup of Nations tournament.    
A statement, issued in Lagos on Tuesday by CAF's organising committee, said the co-hosts would be fined $10,000 after local fans invaded the pitch to celebrate Nigeria's winning goal in their quarter-final against Senegal.    

But a senior official announced on Wednesday that the fine had been reduced to $5,000.

The decision was taken after consultation with CAF President Issa Hayatou, who has been in Accra, Ghana.

Jubilant fans, thinking the game had been won with a "golden goal" during extra time, rushed onto the pitch and stopped play for 10 minutes.

CAF said they took into account that the supporters did not plan to spoil the match, but were unaware that the golden goal rule is not applied in CAF competitions.    

There had been fears that CAF would carry out its previous threat of shutting the Surulere stadium in Lagos, following an earlier incident when Nigerian fans hurled bottles onto the pitch in protest at their team's performance in a 0-0 first round draw with Congo.

Galatasaray - Besiktas - 14/04/2000

Source: The Independent

A 29-year-old Turk was stabbed to death in Istanbul late Friday night by his friend, after the two watched a league match between Galatasaray and Besiktas. The murder, reported in the Istanbul newspaper Hurriyet, comes after the deaths of two British fans, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, the night before the Uefa Cup semi-final first leg between Galatasaray and Leeds United on 6 April.

Vasco da Gama - São Caetano - ??/12/2000

Source : Press

Fighting between rival supporters during the final of the 2000 Copa João Havelange between Vasco da Gama and São Caetano led to a fence collapsing and over 60 injuries at the Estádio São Januário in Rio de Janeiro. Hundreds of fans in the upper terrace had pushed forward trying to escape from the fighting. Fans lower down were pushed into a perimeter fence which under the weight, collapsed, and fans spilled onto the pitch. Fans had panicked when fighting broke out with people falling on top of each other. Many were treated on the pitch, with helicopters taking over 50 people to local hospitals. The match was abandoned 90 minutes later by the governor of Rio de Janeiro state, Anthony Garotinho. This was despite calls by the police, who had wanted to bring in military police to encircle the pitch, to that ensure fans did not interrupt the match.

Arsenal: `Leading hooligans' arrested - 12/11/1999

Source: The Independent

TWO ALLEGED organisers of football hooliganism were arrested yesterday after being identified in CCTV footage of a 20-strong gang of Arsenal fans beating up a young Manchester United fan at a north London Underground station on 22 August. Police launched a series of raids of homes and said further arrests were expected.

Panama - Mexico - 16/07/2000

Source : Corbis

Referees Brian Hall (C), Craig Lowry (rear) and Scott Weiland protect themseves with police shields from bottles and ice thrown by the crowd at Rommel Fernandes Stadium in Panama City at the end of the Panama-Mexico game July 16.

Sheffield United - Sheffield Wednesday - 16/12/2000

Source: http://www.cbc.ca

Thirty-three soccer fans arrested in Sheffield

Police used riot gear, tear gas and batons to disperse a group of about 300 rival soccer fans in the downtown area, then arrested 33 of them.

In what police believed was prearranged violence, fans of Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday fought in the city centre Saturday, hours after the Division One teams had tied 1-1.

On Sunday, the government called for three-year bans on the fans involved in the rioting.

Trade minister Richard Caborn, the Labour lawmaker for Sheffield Central, said that the courts had not used banning orders enough in the past to avoid such violence and convicted fans should be banned from games for three years on top of whatever punishment the courts give them.

"I will be asking the courts how many banning orders have been imposed on fans found guilty of football-related offences in the last three years," he said. "People are seriously concerned that football violence has now transferred from the grounds to town centres and transport interchanges."

Huddersfield - Liverpool FC - FA Cup - 12/12/1999

Source : Press

Rotherham United - Swansea City - 06/05/2000

Source : Press

Huddersfield Town - Fulham - 07/05/2000

Source : Press

Dundee United - Celtic - ??/08/1999

Source : The Mirror

Celts hit out at missile thrower

CELTIC have condemned a supporter who threw a drinks can at Dundee United's Billy Dodds at Tannadice Park on Sunday.

The Scotland striker was almost hit by the missile thrown from the visitors' section as he celebrated his goal in the home side's shock 2- 1 victory.

The incident was one of several which marred the Premier League encounter, with two Dundee United supporters' coaches also coming under fire from missiles after the game.

Both clubs have vowed to aid any inquiry, with Celtic promising to ban Dodds' attacker from Parkhead for life.

It is the last thing Celtic would have wished for, just days after they received a £45,000 fine for the behaviour of their fans in the controversial Old Firm clash last May, when referee Hugh Dallas was struck by a coin.

"We would urge supporters with any information on the incident to come forward," said Celtic PR chief Peter McLean.
"It was an act of sheer stupidity and we will be carrying out our own investigation."

Hajduk Split - Sibenik - 12/04/2000

Source : Mail

Fulham FC - Queen's Park Rangers - 19/09/1999

Source: Sunday Mirror

Crowd trouble and a full house of 19,623 - this could have been a trip down memory lane as Fulham triumphed in the first west London showdown with neighbours Rangers for 16 years.

Paul Peschisolido claimed the spoils for the home side when he stole in to poach the 17th-minute winner after Ludek Miklosko failed to hold on to Paul Trollope's free kick.

That sparked disturbances in the corner of the Stevenage Road stand, where a small number of Rangers fans had infiltrated the home support.

Police and stewards quickly moved in to silence the hotheads and quell the menacing atmosphere - still lingering after the kick-off had been delayed for four minutes by an earlier pitch invasion.


With more than 5,500 Rangers fans making up the biggest crowd at Craven Cottage since 1983, and touts in evidence, it was a recipe for confrontation.

In the dying minutes of the first half, that spilled onto the pitch when Rangers striker Rob Steiner was sent off after taking an exaggerated dive.

QPR boss Gerry Francis did not help the atmosphere when he collared referee Rob Styles en route to the dressing room at the break.

Francis was still seething after the final whistle when he fumed: "I am disappointed with the referee's performance.

"I've not seen the video, but I do know that Rob got past his man before he went down."

Added Francis: "I'm proud of the spirit my players have shown, and it was a great turnout today."

(...)

FC Metz - West Ham United - 27/08/1999

Source: Press

English fans made troubles outside, aswell as inside the stadium, where the CRS (french police) has to make several charges at the end of the game.

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Trouble broke out amongst West Ham fans after a Metz fan threw a fire cracker into their section. West Ham fans tried to break down fencing to attack Metz fans and stewards had to turn fire extinguishers on them until the CRS turned up to restore order. There was also minor incidents in the streets outside the ground involving West Ham fans .

Marseille - Manchester United - 19/10/1999

Source : Press

AS St Etienne - Paris SG - 99/00

Source : Press

OM - Chelsea FC - 01/03/2000

Source : Press



A Chelsea football fan is being questioned by police after being arrested on suspicion of attacking a steward and inciting a riot during the club's Champions League defeat in Marseille.
Uefa are also likely to investigate the events that led to riot police wielding batons to fire tear gas in the enclosure containing about 2,000 visiting supporters towards the end of the first half.
Reports suggested missiles had been thrown into the Chelsea enclosure by Olympique Marseille fans standing about 20 yards away - separated by a fence at least 10ft high.
However, the police commander at the match insisted the rapid reaction by the riot squad was made because a group of Chelsea supporters were pushing their way forward past stewards to the front of the section.
He said some fans had ripped out seats after the end of the match and thrown them at Marseille fans as they walked away below them. He added a Marseille supporter had been stabbed during an earlier incident at a bar outside the ground - although another report indicated this was actually a Chelsea fan.
A number of fights also broke out in the city in the build-up to the match. An unspecified number of spectators were apparently taken to hospital during the game but the main outbreak of trouble lasted about five minutes and the game was not interrupted.
The police commander said: "The man will be kept in Marseille and will be charged with violence against a steward and inciting a riot."
The police commander said: "The CRS riot police were sent in to prevent the supporters getting on to the pitch. The order was given to release tear gas. We arrested one man on the spot.
Earlier in the day seven Chelsea supporters were released without charge after spending 14 hours in custody following running fights between English and French men on the Lyon Metro last night.

Hungary: FC Dorog - Kispest Budapest - 99/00

Source : https://www.youtube.com

FC Bologna - RSC Anderlecht - 02/11/1999

Source: Soccer Fans website

(Report by the Brussels Casual Service).
Monday evening the bus left Brussels at 1800 with 80 people on board, and arrived in Bologna the next day around 1500. The reason for the delay were incidents occured at a gas station in Austria: vandalism, fighting and 1 person arrested. The result was a three hour delay. Arrived in Bologna there was a complete search of the coach, confiscation of some goodies and escort to the stadium. Despite the interdiction of
going to town, the whole group went to the city centre, where some 350 ultra's were waiting. They told the K4/BCS mob that several ultra groups were assembling, but this never happened. Around 1630 everybody went in separate groups to the stadium, and some 20 BCS stuck together. Arrived at the main entrance, a fight erupted with some 40 Spaghetti's, and some Ita's hit the floor. 1 was completely K.O. Police interviened and the fight ended. After the game several incidents broke out, and police forces were charged (they wanted to prevent the group from getting out of the stadium). The Mauves Army, K4 and BCS leading, counted some 500 lads. 4 to 5 police vehicles were completely destroyed, and police forces used rubber bullets to disperse the fans.  Even containers were launched into the police barrier. After a while the police took over control and the mob was lead out of Italy. They will surely remember the visit of the RSCA Mob.



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Some incidents broke out in Leuven after the 0-3 with around 30 Anderlecht fans. The police had to intervien and controlled the situation after a while.