Season 00/01 - July

Twelve dead in stampede as S. Africa tops Zimbabwe - 10/07/2000

Source: CNNSI.com

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Twelve people died in a stampede Sunday as the crowd tried to escape tear gas police had fired at unruly fans during a World Cup qualifier between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

"We have 12 bodies" as a result of the soccer stampede, a police officer at Harare's main hospital said.

Davison Sadza, head of the Parirenyatwa hospital, told state radio the 12 were dead on arrival. Four stampede victims were in critical condition, he said, and "many" were injured

Anxious relatives waiting for news milled around outside Parirenyapwa hospital's emergency ward, where numerous injured patients were being treated.

A doctor said most of the fatal victims had died from internal injures consistent with being crushed.

Though the game was abandoned 10 minutes before full time, South Africa's 2-0 win will remain official.

Fans began running amok after South Africa's Delron Buckley scored his second goal in the 84th minute. Angry fans disputed a referee's decision not to award a penalty to the home side, something they thought had set up Buckley's second attack. His first goal came in the 6th minute.

Fans hurled bottles and other items onto the field and jumped from the tiered grandstands to jeer the visiting South Africans.

Police responded by firing tear gas, triggering a stampede as the crowd of about 50,000 tried to leave the National Sports Stadium in western Harare. A fire hydrant was torn from its mountings, spraying water over fleeing fans.

Players writhed on the turf, choking and covering their faces as tear gas spread through the stadium.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests. Officials at the ground were outraged by the police action, which they described as "total overreaction," the South African Press Association reported.

Zimbabwe had needed to win to avoid relegation from the Africa Zone Group E qualifying series.

South Africa had been favorites to win the qualifier, but Zimbabwe fans had pinned their hopes to the fat that South Africa had never beaten Zimbabwe in previous competitive encounters.

Zimbabwe beat South Africa 4-1 in their first World Cup qualifier in 1992. Zimbabwe won two and drew one of the countries' last three battles.

But South Africa made it to the first round of the 1998 World Cup finals, and placed third in this year's African Nations Cup. Zimbabwe has never qualified for the World Cup and did not qualify for this year's African Nations Cup.

The game was one of eight World Cup qualifiers, all in Africa, on Sunday. In other other games it was: Cameroon 3, Angola 0; Liberia 2, Nigeria 1; Ghana 5, Sierra Leone 0; Senegal 0, Egypt 0; Republic of Congo 2, Congo 0; Guinea 3, Burkina Faso 2; and Morocco 2, Algeria 1.

In April, rioting soccer fans in Kenya forced officials to abandon a World Cup qualifier between Kenya and Malawi. Fans ripped out stadium seats and littered the field with debris. The 0-0 tie was declared the official score.

Xi'an Punished for Rampaging Fans - 19/07/2000

Source: People Daily

The Chinese Football Association Tuesday stripped northwestern city Xi'an of the right to host any soccer league match after fans rioted on late Saturday.

City match organizers were fined 100,000 yuan (US$12,000) and the local team, Shaanxi Guoli, of Division Two, were asked to find new venue to play at.

Because of a "refereeing problem" in an earlier 1-1 league draw between Guoli and Chengdu Wuniu, furious Xi'an fans tried to attack referee Li Yuhong.

A victory for Guoli would have meant early promotion to Division One.

Some fans clashed with local police who tried to stop them using water cannons and tear gas.

Eight supporters were arrested during the riot, but were released soon afterwards.

In an effort to combat disturbances on the soccer field, the General Affairs Office of the State Council issued a circular suggesting improvements to league management, promotion of fair play and a campaign to stamp out violence.

Hungary: riots at a 5-side tournament - 08/07/2000

Source: Soccer Fans

About 60 Újpest fans were present (most of them members of Ultra Korps ) at Siofók for the tournament, but everyone knew, that there would be a fight with Ferencvaros supporters. About 80 Ferencvaros fans arrived at about 12 o'clock (members of Green Monsters & Stormy ). Újpest fans immediately attacked them, as soon as they arrived to the entrance. A big fight broke out, wich lasted for several minutes. The police forces (about 6 normal policemen) tried to stop the fight, but no one cared about the tear gas, and they even hit them, or pushed them away, so they could hit one of their rivals.
Ferencvaros fans retreated to the end of the street. Later riot police arrived, and arrested some fans randomly. Kispest fans who, were also present did not interfere, although they promised help for Ferencvaros fans.
The police forced the organizers to shorten the matches, so the tournament could end on Saturday. The team of Ultra Korps was disqualified, because of the fight. The were some serious injuries on the Ferencvaros side.

Brondby IF - AGF Aarhus - 22/07/2000

Source: Soccer Fans

SOURCE : BRONBY

"This match - the first in the danish league this year - was by the police classified as a high risk match, the last couple of years there has been numerous incidents between Brøndby's South Side United and AGF Aarhus White Pride.
This year the AGF firm managed to gather a "tidy" mob of 8 lads to travel to Brøndby. The South Side firm was of course disappointed with the Aarhus no show, and when Brøndby lost 1-2 and the police were chearing for the away team and the stadium guards were provocing heavily - it all ended in battlescenes between South Side United and the police and stadium guards on the other side. Several guards were injured and 12 persons arrested."

Red Star Beograd - Orpedo Kutaisi - 26/07/2000

Source: Delije website


Fight with Belgrade police during Champions League second qualifying round between Red Star and Torpedo Kutaisi (Georgia).

KV Mechelen - Vitesse Arnhem - Friendly game - 29/07/2000

Source: belgian press

Many incidents errupted around the stadium. 14 Dutch fans were arrested.

Standard Liège - Ajax Amsterdam - Friendly game - 29/07/2000

Source: Soccer Fans + forums

SOURCE : STANDARD
"The Standard board decided not to be helped by the belgium cops ("gendarmerie") for this friendly match.
About 1000 ajax-fans joined Liege on this saturday.
Some ajax-fans went to the city in the afternoon to have some drinks, they began to crash some chairs or to insult some people in the city.
The Hell-side crew heard this and decided to join the bar where the Ajax-hools were.
The Standard crew was of about 30 people at this time. They arrived near this bar and attacked the Ajax-hooligans. It was a fight between about 30 Standard people against about 30 ajax-people. These ajax-guys were hooligans (we saw some people with gothic-letters sweat-shirts, we saw them "come for it", etc.)
Around the stadium, the two groups of supporters began to grow.
On their road to their place in the stadium, the ajax lads decided to "have some fun" with the belgian stewards. they hitted them.
During the game, from the outside, a belgian steward was supposed to remove an amsterdam-flag
where the ajax fans wrote "ADIDAS -ROT OP" (ADIDAS, FUCK OFF)because of Ajax-new clothes.
The Ajax fans began to hit the guy, and to get on their nerves.
The 4 stewards who were supposed to calm down the Ajax fans began to get knocked by the dutch-people. even a women-steward was hitted on the head !
At approximatively 21h25, about 250 Ajax-fans are leaving the stadium. The Hell-side crew is contacted by other Standard fans that the Amsterdam-guys are trying to join the side of the stadium where the Standard fans were.
The Ajax hools arrived and began to throw stones from the road. But a part of the Hell-side was in the streets yet. The Ajax-hools saw the Hell-siders, and continued to throw stones into the crowd.
The Hell-siders (about 70 people at this time) began to run to the ajax-hools (about 250 people !!). The fight began. The policemen (15 people) couldn't anything against the fight.
The Ajax-hooligans went back when they saw the Hell-Side coming to them. They run away to their place in the stadium.

Some of the ajax hools who stayed for a longer moment get what they deserved, and some of them were knocked down on the streets.
On their nerves, a lot of Standard-fans (non-hooligans) joined the fight !
Some of the fighters were there with weapons : BUT THE STANDARD-HOOLS DIDN'T USE MORE WEAPONS
THAN THE AJAX-HOOLS (The Hell-siders began to take some weapons WHEN THEY WERE ATTACKED BY
STONES FROM THE AJAX-HOOLS ! who were approximately 250 i repeat)
We saw many Ajax-hooligans with sticks, stones, etc. There was NO heavy weapons !
The Ajax-hooligans stayed in their safe place in the stadium, and the police was waiting for some more cops to come to Sclessin to escort the Ajax fans to their cars.
There was NO Feyenoord-hools with the HELL-SIDE crew, there was only some 10 DEN BOSCH fans with
the Standard fans."


SOURCE : STANDARD
"I saw that last message from that Ajax fan. Just a little correction. He says Standard fans were at least
30 on one injured Ajax fan. Well maybe BUT during the game, the Ajax fans had a huge flag-->it was written anti-something (adidas?), so a steward asked them to give the flag but they refused and they beat him up! They were way more than 30 on him. There's even a steward who was interviewed and who confirmed what I'm saying."

SOURCE : AJAX
"We did come out of the stadium with a big group (my guess about 200 strong), but most of the people in this group were not hooligans, just fanatics looking for some excitement... when things hit off they instantly ran like hell (into the stadium). A group of about 30-50 stood and tried to fight (fought pretty well too) but didn't have much of a chance.

My question is: Why did Standard attack with so many weapons? Iron bars, bats, stones flying through the air like I've never seen before... I saw one pitchfork and also one bastard waving around with a scythe. My point is that standard may have won the fight, but they haven't won any respect. One Ajax lad was on the ground, unconscious, and about 10-30 of you cockroaches kept throwing stones at him and tried to have another go at him... very sad.
Remember this, we may have been the ones that ran... but we were the ones up for a fair fight, not you!"


SOURCE : AJAX
"Our view (of Ajax F-side)

About a quarter before the end of the game we decided to leave the stadium, some tot try and get
another beer, some to riot with the standard mob. At the hell side opposite of us in the stadium
everyone was stil there. When we came round the stadium a mob of around 3-400 (standard assisted
by fans of lower dutch league side fc den bosch) atacked us with: Stones, PITCHFORKS, pipes,
AXES etc..
Why always weapons???
Some of us managed to do some "work" which resulted in nine of standard in the hospital.
I like to wish m the best and we'll get these den bosch motherfuckers back!!
In conclusion a carefully planned but not at all succesfull attack of Ajax fans, no one likes us
WE DON"T CARE!!!!!"

SOURCE : STANDARD
"The first troubles took place in the afternoon in the center of the city, ther was a fight between a mob of around 50 Ajax Hools and 30 of Standard and the ajax men had to
leave the place.
Before the game there was troubles all around the stadium and ajax fans destroyed a pub.
At the start of the game ajax fanx tried to invade the ground with a first reaction of the stewards (4 of them wounded) and then of the few policemen present.
A quarter before the end of the game a mob of around 200 à 300 ajax hools came out of the stadium to attack the Standard fans.
Standard fans (around 150) came also out of the stadium and from a pub abroad to attack back the men of Ajax who had to run back into the stadion (an ajax fan was heavy
wounded).
After the game many more policemen and a water canon were present to escort the ajax hools to their cars."


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Source: The Independent

Dutch fans on rampage in Belgium

DUTCH HOOLIGANS clashed with security staff, police and rival fans after travelling to Belgium for pre-season exhibition games on Saturday. Four stadium stewards were injured and 16 fans detained by police.

The stewards were beaten by a group of over 20 Ajax Amsterdam supporters at a match with Standard Liege on Saturday evening. The Liege police commissioner, Francois Lovenfosse, said that some hooligans had wielded iron bars.

"I've never seen violence like that from the Dutch," Lovenfosse said. He went on to express his disappointment that fans banned from attending games in the Netherlands because of their record of violence showed up for the match.
"We had no warning from the Netherlands that there were dangerous supporters coming our way," Lovenfosse said.

Fighting started in central Liege ahead of the game and continued in the stadium during the match, which Ajax won 4-0. Two Dutch fans were arrested before the game.

In the other incident, 14 Dutch fans were detained by police after clashes in the northern city of Mechelen.

Borussia Monchengladbach - FC Twente - Friendly game - 29/07/2000

Source: Soccer Fans

SOURCE : TWENTE

"A group of about 100 vakp (twente) fans was at 13.00 in the city at the centrum of the city the city`s was al day in to dutch handslater the day there was a other bus off vakp (twente) before the game the politzei (german police) walked whit them to the stadion at the stadion there where no problems and the twente group go`s inside after the 1-0 there came a group of 40 germans singing and screaming to us the vakp lads came to them and trowed some fences away at the last fenc there where some fight and the germans used teargas in a couple of minuts there was a lot of police over there and the fight`s where over with out a winner after the game the twente group most stay in the stadium off the police because there was a lot of germans outside but the police had them away after thad the police walk with the twente group but some of them know tho get away and kicked some german ass"

SK Lokeren - FC Den Haag - Friendly game - 30/07/2000

Source: Den Haag websites

Incidents occured outside the stadium and in the city in local pubs.

Wanderers low in yobs shame league - 13/07/2000

Source: Bolton Evening News

AN MP has published a 'Hooligan's League of Shame' which shows Bolton Wanderers have among the fewest known hooligans of any club in the country.

The Whites have only two known yobs out of 402 from all English league clubs according to Labour MP Jim Murphy in a report published today.

The figure compares with 59 associated with Leeds United, 43 with Stoke City and 23 with Manchester City. They relate to the number of supporters who have had banning and restriction orders imposed against them.

Mr Murphy released the figures on the eve of a Commons debate into new legislation proposed by Home Secretary Jack Straw following disturbances involving English hooligans in Euro 2000.

Hartlepool - Aberdeen - Friendly game 15/07/2000

Source: NCIS report

70 Aberdeen fans arrived at Newcastle by coach and then caught train to Hartlepool. Upon arrival violence occurred around the railway station area. After kick-off 20 fans were ejected from the ground and returned to the railway station where a further confrontation took place with home fans. At the end of the match a further disturbance took place at the railway station and the Aberdeen fans were eventually placed on a train and removed from the area. Major disorder only avoided by deployment of BTP officers and dog section and Cleveland police match units.

Cheltenham Town - Reading FC - Friendly game - 18/07/2000

Source: NCIS report

Cheltenham Town played a pre-season friendly fixture against Reading. This was a steward-only fixture. Approximately five minutes after the kick off a group of eight Reading supporters arrived late at the turnstiles. As they were entering one of the group became involved in a confrontation with another male and a scuffle ensued. Other members of the group ran to join in, at which point the victim ran off towards a home entrance and managed to gain entry to the ground. Six members of the Reading group chased him. This sparked off disorder involving stewards trying to prevent their access to the ground, as a result of which punches and kicks were thrown, and racist comments made. Six Reading supporters were subsequently arrested for violent disorder.

Grimsby Town - Dundee FC - Friendly game - 21/07/2000

Source: NCIS report

A group of 60 Dundee fans arrived at Cleethorpes station where disorder occurred with local fans. Swift intervention of BTP and Humberside police prevented further disorder. A fight involving 200 persons later occurred before order was restored.

Nottingham Forest - Leeds United - Friendly game - 29/07/2000

Source: NCIS report

After this pre-season friendly Forest supporters attacked a group of Leeds supporters as they returned to their cars. Several Forest supporters were arrested as a result of this incident and a Leeds supporter was taken to hospital after being hit with a bottle.

Lincoln City - Grimsby Town - Friendly game - 29/07/2000

Source: NCIS report

Prior to the match a group of around 25 Grimsby supporters attempted to attack a public house where Lincoln supporters were drinking. Police prevented disorder, with dog handlers being deployed. After the match the same location was again a flashpoint when Lincoln supporters tried to ambush the Grimsby supporters. The rival groups had been in contact with each other throughout the day via mobile phone. Although this was low-key pre-season friendly the two rival groups attended with a view to confronting each other and they were only prevented from doing so by a strong police presence.

Wolverhampton Wanderers - Aston Villa Sunday - Friendly game - 30/07/2000

Source: NCIS report

This match was a police-free fixture. At 3.10 pm disorder occurred at a public house in Wolverhampton town centre between rival supporters. A group of around 60 Wolves supporters smashed windows and attacked a group of 30 Aston Villa supporters who were drinking in the pub. Police attended and order was restored. A police vehicle was damaged during the disorder.

Colombia - Mexico - Copa America - 29/07/2001

Source : Mail

Dolcan Zabki - LKS Lodz - Cup - 19/07/2000

Source : Mail - LKS view

Zabki is a town located near Warsaw. Legia Warsaw supporters are one of our biggest enemies.
The main group that consisted of 40 fans took the train to Warsaw. Warsaw we reached without the police escort. In Warsaw we had to transfer for the bus that would take us to Zabki. After getting off the train we were very alert, but we did not encounter any police or Legia’s hooligans. Without any incident we reached Zabki. 48 LKS LODZ supporters were present at the game. Right after half time a Legia lad from the group called Teddy Boys came up to us and proposed a fight. We accepted his proposition and soon left the stadium. Police escorted us together with a few Legia supporters to the bus station in Zabki. Once we reached Warsaw we split into two groups. One went to the railroad station and the other took a trolley with Legia supporters. They took us to a small school playground fenced from all sides, where we met other Legia hooligans. Those Legia supporters who accompanied us to that point were asked to leave by 2 main lads with whom we decided not to kick those who end up on the ground and if some one wants to quit has to say so. About twenty minutes later Teddy Boys group appeared. All of them were puffed up. Soon two rival groups, each consisting of 19 hooligans faced each other. At the beginning we were holding up pretty good but after a while some of us quit. After a minute the fight was over, the host group won. Legia’s hooligans admitted that we were the first in Poland that decided to fight with them in Warsaw. We talked for a while thanked them for the fight and headed back to the railroad station. At the station we met with other LKS supporters. While waiting for the train a Legia lad who witnessed the fight approached us and said that we fought with Legia’s best group.