Season 01/02 - May

Partizan Belgrade - Obilic - 31/05/2002

Source: AFP

Two policemen were hurt as they tried to break up fighting between rival groups of football fans here on Saturday. Three people were hurt, including two police officers, and 35 fans detained as clashes broke out during and after the Yugoslavian league match between newly-crowned champions Partizan Belgrade and Obilic. Around 500 supporters of Partizan, known as of the 'southern front' fought battles with rival fans, according to the Tanjug news agency. Police were attacked with stones as they intervened in the fighting. Another brawl occured after the game, which Partizan won 2-1, with six more fans detained.

One killed after football fans clash - 29/05/2002

Source: Persianleague.com

A 20-year-old boy was killed in the southern city of Masjed Soleyman in Khuzestan province on Tuesday night after a pitched battle broke out between the fans of two major football teams of capital Tehran.
Arash Mehri Dehno died after being stabbed in the chest during clashes between fans of Esteqlal and Pirouzi teams.
Police have arrested one person, suspected of the murder and are looking for another who is on the run.
The clash broke out after Pirouzi, better known as the Reds, lifted the trophy of Iran's pro league by one-point advantage against its arch-rival Esteqlal.

World Cup ban for 13 Reebok fans - 18/05/2002

Source: Bolton Evening News

A TOTAL of 13 Bolton Wanderers supporters have been banned from the World Cup, it was revealed today.

The fans are among 1,007 hard-core England football hooligans banned from travelling to Japan and Korea for the competition.

Only four other Premiership teams -- Leeds United with 66, Derby County with 37, Manchester United with 26 and Chelsea with 22 -- have more supporters banned.

In other divisions, Cardiff City has the most supporters banned with 112, and 23 Millwall fans are also black-listed. The Bolton fans, who all have previous hooligan convictions or are suspected by police of planning violence during the World Cup, had to surrender their passports at midnight on Thursday and will not get them back until the end of the tournament.

British and Japanese police have worked closely together to compile the list in an attempt to make the event run as smoothly as possible.

Japanese intelligence officers have been in the UK for the last week and profiles of another 200 potential troublemakers have been passed to them.

More than 8,000 English fans are expected to make the journey to Japan to support their team, 4,000 of those have secured their tickets through the Football Association and 2,000 through FIFA. The other 2,000 are expected to travel without tickets.

Strict Japanese security measures will ensure no one who has served a prison term for drugs or violent offences will be allowed into the country, and British police will be at airports and ports and will have spotters on the streets of Japan and South Korea.

A Wanderers spokesman said the club was unable to comment about the World Cup bans.

World Cup ban for 'fans' - 20/05/2002

Source: Lancashire Evening Telegraph

NINETEEN East Lancashire football hooligans have been banned from the World Cup next month as part of a nationwide drive to stop English troublemakers travelling to Japan and Korea.

Fourteen are Burnley FC fans and five support Blackburn Rovers, police say.

They are among 1,000 known hooligans across the country to face the ban -- a tenfold increase in the number who were barred from Euro 2000.

The fans will be required to surrender their passports in the next five days and will not get them back until the end of the tournament.

A police spokesman said the fans would also be called to report to local police stations at intervals throughout the competition.

Bryan Drew, of the National Criminal Intelligence Service, which is masterminding the operation, said the fans who were being required to surrender their passports either had previous hooligan convictions or were suspected by police of planning violence at the World Cup.

They face up to six months in jail if they disobey the order.

Around 8,000 English fans are expected to travel to Japan, where England will play their qualifying matches. Of those 2,000 are expected to travel without tickets, but will face an intensive security operation. English police will be at airports and ports and will have spotters on the streets of Japan and Korea.

The banning orders on the East Lancashire fans were made under the Football Disorder Act 2000, which came into force after Euro 2000.

Huddersfield: Yellow card for the yobs - 11/05/2002

Source: The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD Town are threatening life bans on hooligan fans after crowd trouble.

The club have been hauled over the coals by the Football Licensing Authority for violence at the play-off game against Brentford.

The match was at the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield last month.

If Town fail to give a yellow card to the yobs in future, they could face:

* Capacity cuts at the McAlpine

* Removal of the safety licence from certain sections

* Greater police involvement on matchdays.

Town have been trying to create a better atmosphere by encouraging vocal fans to band together in the John Smith's Kilner Bank stand, but the Licensing Authority were alarmed by behaviour in the opposite lower tier of the Lawrence Batley main stand during the goalless draw against Brentford on April 28.

"Not only were large numbers of spectators standing throughout the game, but they were blocking gangways and behaving in an extremely aggressive manner," said the Football Licensing Authority (FLA) in a letter. The letter was sent to Town, Kirklees Council, the McAlpine Stadium company, West Yorkshire Police and the Football League.

"The tension came to a head at half time in the lower concourse, when several stewards were attacked and there was a stand-off between police and a large hooligan element," said the FLA.

Ahead of Monday's meeting of the stadium Events Panel, Town director Paul Haigh promised strong measures.

"We do not want unruly fans causing trouble at any time and, in this instance, maybe as few as 20 people could potentially cost the club thousands of pounds in extra costs," said Mr Haigh.

"If these people are true fans they will realise we can't afford this and will behave themselves in future. If not, we will have no alternative but to ban them for life."

Huddersfield: Soccer fans hit by ban - 18/05/2002

Source: The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FIVE Huddersfield Town fans are among 1,007 alleged hard-core England football hooligans banned from travelling out of the country while the World Cup is on.

Police said it was a 10-fold increase in the number who were barred from Euro 2000.

The fans have been forced to surrender their passports and will not get them back until the end of the tournament.

Those banned from travelling include 112 Cardiff City fans, 98 from Stoke City, 66 from Leeds United and 23 from Millwall.

Two Japanese intelligence officers have been in the UK for the last week and profiles of another 200 potential troublemakers have been passed to them.
Some of the 1,007 fans required to surrender their passports have previous hooligan convictions and some are under suspicion by police of planning violence at the World Cup.

They face up to six months in jail if they disobey the order.

Bryan Drew, head of the specialist intelligence branch of the National Criminal Intelligence Service, said: "We are going to put as many obstacles in the way of these people as we can."

English police had been working hard to help Japanese and Korean officers distinguish between hooligans and genuine supporters.

The 1,007 banning orders were made under the Football Disorder Act 2000 which came into force after the shameful scenes of Euro 2000.

The list of supporters banned from travelling to the World Cup, broken down by club includes:

Barnsley 7, Bradford City 6, Halifax Town 2, Hull City 17, Manchester City 35, Manchester United 26, Oldham 5, Rotherham United 10, Sheffield United 10, and Sheffield Wednesday 5.

Dresdner SC - 1.FC Magdeburg - 05/05/2002

Source : Kategorie Magdeburg website

AC Sparta Prague - FC Bohemians Prague - 03/05/2002

Source: hooligans.cz

One hour after the match there was arranged fight between two rivals. A group of 90 Sparta hools waited for Bohemians, but they had police escort. Their group was near by one underground station and only after two hours police escort left them. At this place were only 4 policemen. Sparta group came on this place and attacked Bohemians hools. They was only 23 (including 7 polish hools), so it was not skirmish, but lynch.

SK Sigma Olomouc - SK Slavia Prague - 03/05/2002

Source: hooligans.cz

Before this match there was arranged fight in the city of Zabreh. Both sides (22 Olomouc, 20 SKS) fought without weapons and on both sides were some small injuries. After that police came and separated both sides, but hooligans from both sides attacked them and some policemen were wounded. 5 hools were arrested afterwards.

FC Banik Ostrava - SK Sigma Olomouc - 10/05/2002

Source: hooligans.cz

After this match Banik hools taken their cars and went to Olomouc (ca. 100 km). They waited there at the train station, but Olomouc hools waited at different place in Prerov for Opava hools. Opava played on this day in Brno. So Banik hools beaten only small groups of Olomouc lads. Another group of Banik hools attacked in Ostrava a group of Opava lads. After short fight police got involved.

Cardiff and the hooligan element - 17/05/2002

Source: BBC

Cardiff City is home to one of the biggest and most active hooligan groups in Britain, known as the 'Soul Crew'.
But far from ostracising known wrongdoers, the club's chairman, Sam Hammam, actively befriends some.

He made one convicted football thug his personal bodyguard and has boasted in the past that he can reform "the biggest nutter".

The second programme in the 'Hooligans' series , to be shown on BBC2 on 19 May at 2100BST, puts Sam Hammam's relationship with these hooligans under the spotlight.

When the flamboyant Lebanese businessman bought Cardiff City Football Club in the summer of 2000, fans greeted him as a messiah. The club were languishing in the Third Division, with a dilapidated stadium and a struggling team.

On the pitch things have improved. The team just missed out on a second successive promotion in 2002. But off the pitch, things could hardly be worse.

Fans' friend

At the end of Hammam's first season at the club, Cardiff were promoted to the second division. In celebration, Hammam paid for a coach trip and champagne reception for selected fans at a hotel outside Mansfield.

The party contained known football hooligans. After the event Hammam told a local newspaper that he was "proud to travel with the Soul Crew".

One of the fans present was John Simmonds, known as Simmo. He features on South Wales police football intelligence sheets.

He is shown in the programme repeatedly among groups of men chanting 'Soul Crew' and seeking confrontation with opposing supporters at Cardiff City matches.

Ex-Chelsea hooligan Darren Wells said: "Simmo's just one of the top boys down at Cardiff. He's just well respected by all the different firms. Anyone who knows of Cardiff knows of Simmo."

Yet Mr Simmonds was present at Sam Hammam's champagne coach trip and is welcome at fans' meetings.

Reform

Hammam claims he has a policy of rehabilitation of hooligans. He has spoken of taming hooligans with love and hugs. "Bring me the biggest nutter...," he said "and I will change him."

One startling example of this policy was Hammam's appointment of a convicted football hooligan as his personal bodyguard.

But former Head of Cardiff Police, Gerald Toms is sceptical. He said: "To bring people who have clearly been involved... directly and indirectly, in football hooliganism into the heart of the football club is really, in my view, almost endorsing their behaviour."

In January 2002, the whole problem exploded into public consciousness when Cardiff played Leeds in the third round of the FA Cup. Leeds fans and players were hit by missiles during the game, and hundreds of Cardiff fans invaded the pitch.

In May 2002, the club was fined £20,000 by the Welsh FA for the events of that day.

In the build-up to the game, Hammam had relished the hostile atmosphere that the Leeds players would face. He said: "It's better for us to play them at Ninian because the intimidatory factor will be so big... It's a bit like the old Den at Millwall except ten times more.'

The former head of the English Police Spotting teams, Eddie Curtis, condemned Mr Hammam for encouraging the hooligans.

"If that's what he said, that's just totally irresponsible," he said. "Somebody like that, after making those comments, and after seeing what's happened, shouldn't be allowed to work in football."

After initially blaming a racist English media for exaggerating the trouble at the Leeds game, Hammam launched a war on hooliganism. Yet it is debatable whether it has had any effect.

When Cardiff lost to Stoke in the play off semi-final on 1 May 2002, there was once again rioting outside Ninian Park. There was further trouble at the FAW Cup Final between Cardiff and Swansea 12 days later.

Gerald Toms remains doubtful of Cardiff City's policy. He said: "What I am saying is that's the words, where's the action?... Where is Sam Hammam coming from? What is his view? I mean why is he so closely involved with these groups?"

MVV Maastricht - Emmen - 03/05/2002

Source : Angel Side website

Cardiff police brace for clash as fans gather - 11/05/2002

Source: The Guardian

Police in Cardiff are to mount a huge security operation for this weekend's play-off matches, following concerns that rival football fans may clash in the city.
Around 35,000 Stoke City fans are expected in Cardiff for today's second division play-off against Brentford, while a similar number of Birmingham City fans are expected to attend their team's first division play-off against Norwich City tomorrow.

While there are few security concerns over Brentford or Norwich fans, police have received information that hooligans from Cardiff may be planning to fight rival fans from Stoke City and Birmingham City.

There is a long history of problems between Cardiff fans and those from Stoke and Birmingham, and some of the most serious incidents of football hooliganism to have taken place over the past few years have involved fans from these clubs.

Last Wednesday, Cardiff fans clashed with police after Cardiff lost 2-0 to Stoke City in the second division play-off semi-final.

Over the past few days, south Wales police have been studying CCTV footage to identify troublemakers. Three police officers were hurt in the violence, and 14 Cardiff City fans have been arrested.

There was also violence in Stoke for the first match between the two teams while Cardiff and Birmingham fans have clashed regularly over the past few years.

Cardiff and Stoke City have the highest number of fans who are subject to football banning orders.

Officers from the National Criminal Intelligence Service, which monitors hooligan activity, have been liaising with their counterparts in south Wales ahead of this weekend's matches.

Undercover police spotters will be on duty in Cardiff to detect troublemakers and police have promised a heavy presence in the city as concern mounts that violence has marred the end of the football season.

Last week, Millwall fans rioted after the team lost in the first division play-off semi-final to Birmingham City, in what police described as the worst incidents of football hooliganism for more than 20 years.

Police in south Wales confirmed yesterday that they had received information that Cardiff City fans might be planning to cause trouble over the weekend.

Superintendent Kevin Tumelty, from the Cardiff division, said: "The vast majority of people coming to Cardiff this weekend are genuine football fans, and they will be welcomed to the city for what promises to be an exciting and key event for football.

"However, we do have some concerns about a small minority of football supporters who may be intending to come into the city to cause trouble. Our message to that minority is that police will not tolerate violent behaviour. We will be on the look out for known trouble-makers and will arrest and deal with anyone involved in hooliganism."

He added: "We want the genuine fans to enjoy their day, and will be mounting an extensive policing operation to ensure not only their safety, but the safety of everyone in Cardiff."

Earlier this year, 33 Cardiff City fans were arrested following violence at matches against Leeds United and Bristol City. In total, 76 years' worth of banning orders have been imposed against those arrested and police have vowed that anyone arrested over this weekend will be subject to banning orders.

Sunderland: No change to yobs' jail terms - 17/05/2002

Source: Sunderland Today

SENTENCES passed on soccer yobs who clashed in North Shields were "unduly lenient," the Court of Appeal ruled today.
But London judges refused to give longer jail terms to the Newcastle and Sunderland thugs who have already served their time.
The eight hooligans were convicted for their part in the Gremlins and Seaburn Casuals clash at North Shields ferry terminal on March 18, 2000.
One witness described the brawl - which left a Sunderland supporter with brain damage - as "like a scene from Braveheart."
The eight were sentenced to between four months and four years in jail after being convicted of conspiracy to commit violent disorder after a £1million investigation.
The Attorney General took the case before the Court of Appeal, arguing that the sentences were "unduly lenient."
Three Court of Appeal judges agreed - but rejected an application to increase the terms.
Stephen Jary, 27, of Glagedale Court in South Shields; Christopher Tapken, 28, of Park Crescent East, North Shields, Christopher Richard Miller, 28, of Ashbrooke Terrace, East Boldon; and Mark Wilson, 30, of Watling Avenue, Seaham, were sentenced to four months.
John Wilson Sharp, 29, of Elwin Close, Seaton Sluice - a former diver described as one of the lieutenants of the clash - got 18 months.
Sentenced to five months were Andrew Batty, 31, of Alston Crescent, Sunderland, and Paul Clements, 24, of Blagdon Avenue, South Shields.
Darren Shaun Leng, 32, of Manchester, got six months.
Two men who independently appealed against the length of their sentences also had their cases dismissed at the Court of Appeal. One of the ringleaders, Graham Russell, 34, of Eleanor Street, Cullercoats, was sentenced to four years, while James Burwood, 24, of Trevor Terrace, North Shields, received 12 months.
The court heard that mobile phones were used to orchestrate the huge fight.
The Newcastle hooligans - armed with pool cues, knives and CS gas - launched a pitched battle against their Sunderland rivals.
They launched a vicious attack on the Sunderland followers , who were mostly from south of the Tyne, in what one terrified witness described as "like a scene from Braveheart" .
Police arrested members of the Sunderland gang, who had dumped their own weapons overboard, as they got off the ferry at South Shields after the fight.
One man suffered a depressed fracture of the skull, from which he is still suffering brain damage.
Acting Detective Chief Inspector John Ramshaw, who headed the inquiry, previously said: "It was appalling, senseless violence by people including professional men with families, and not young thugs."
All eight subjected to the appeal were present during the fight, but the prosecution had not been able to prove the level of their involvement in the violence.
They were convicted at Teesside Crown Court after a six-week trial and sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court.
The judges sitting at the Appeal Court said: " We have no hesitation in concluding that the sentence passed on those offenders was unduly lenient," but they added it would be wrong at this stage to increase jail terms imposed on the eight as they had endured the "double jeopardy" of effectively being sentenced for a second time.

Ruch Chorzow - Legia Warszawa - 04/05/2002

Source: polish fans websites

About 1000 lads from Legia Warsaw came to Chorzow for the last league match in seson 2001/2002 in 04.05.2002. After the game some of warsaw fans went on the field. In asnwer of this Ruch Chorzow fans went on the fild too, on the second side of the pitch. In front of our sector we started to fight with security section, who tried to stop us. Two minutes later police detachments went on the pitch and started shooting to us with rubber bullets. In this time fans of Ruch left the stadium and started fighting with police outside. Some lads were injured from the bullets, but some securities were wounded too.