Season 01/02 - February

Football fans arrested at Midlands airport - 13/02/2002

Source: BBC

Three football fans could face a minimum two-year ban from matches after being seized at East Midlands Airport.

The arrests were part of a police crackdown to stop suspected soccer thugs travelling to Wednesday night's match between England and Holland.

John Crofts, 39, of Leicester, and Dale Campbell, 39, and Daniel Cyster, 23, from Nottingham, were apprehended as they tried to catch a flight to Amsterdam.

Passports seized

All three men appeared before magistrates in Leicester on Wednesday as police set about attempting to impose orders banning them from attending games.

Officers have been stationed at the airport for several days to apprehend any known hooligans who attempt to make the trip to Holland.

The surveillance is designed to identify and apprehend anyone subject to a travel ban under the Football Disorder Act 2000.

Mr Crofts, of Archway Road, Leicester; Mr Campbell, of Cardine Walk, St Ann's; and Mr Cyster, of Wilfred Grove, The Meadows, could now be banned from football for a minimum of two years when they next appear in court.

All three were bailed until 27 February.

District Judge Richard Holland ordered each of them to surrender his passport and not attempt to leave the country before then.

Leicester City - Chelsea FC - 02/02/2002

Source: BBC

There was a fight at the train station involving about ten men.

Nottingham Forest - Millwall FC - 09/02/2002

Source: BBC

An unprecedented security operation was put in place to prevent Forest and Millwall hooligans from clashing in Nottingham. 270 police officers were deployed, 36 pubs were closed and the kick-off was moved to noon in a successful bid to stop any trouble. About half of the Forest group were spotted drinking in Netherfield before kick-off. They boarded a train due to arrive in Nottingham at the same time as a train full of known Millwall hooligans. Police held the Millwall train back. After the game there was a stand-off between Forest and the police while Millwall were escorted to the train station.

Wigan and Blackburn fans fought at the station - 09/02/2002

Source: BBC

About 20 fans from both clubs fought at the train station. Later, a man was injured after clashes between rival hooligans outside the Talbot Inn in Chester. The pub’s windows were smashed and one man, who was not involved in the incident, was injured by flying debris.

Aston Villa - Chelsea FC - 09/02/2002

Source: BBC

A small group of Aston Villa fans attacked an even smaller group from Chelsea at the train station. There was a serious racially motivated assault by Chelsea hooligans on the train back to London.

Middlesbrough - Leeds United - 09/02/2002

Source: BBC

About 60 Leeds fans attacked home fans and police. Missiles were thrown and CS gas was used by Leeds hooligans. The group was finally dispersed by a police baton charge.

Lazio fans protest at training camp - 11/02/2002

Source: Reuters

Lazio coach Alberto Zaccheroni was given a vote of confidence by the club after fans staged a protest against him at the club's Formello training ground. The disgruntled supporters bombarded Zaccheroni with abuse, according to Italian news agency ANSA, and the coach later held meetings with club president Sergio Cragnotti. "There's not a great problem," managing director Massimo Cragnotti was quoted by ANSA as saying. "There is no split between the players and the coach, no lack of faith in the trainer. With him (Zaccheroni) we want to carry forward a project for the next three years. "This is a credible club and we will not go backwards." Although the protest was civil, the players left the ground by a back entrance and police were called to ensure order. Club captain Alessandro Nesta went out to talk to the fans and try to allay their fears, along with team mates Fabio Liverani and Giuseppe Pancaro. The protests were prompted by Sunday's defeat by Parma, the latest in a series of poor results which have left the club eight points adrift of a Champions League qualification place. Zaccheroni replaced Dino Zoff as coach after Lazio were eliminated from Europe in the first stage of the Champions League. Big name signings Gaizka Mendieta and Stefano Fiore have failed to make an impression and last week both Argentina striker Hernan Crespo and Nesta hinted they would seek a move if the club's fortunes did not improve. Lazio are currently eighth in Serie A and face Chievo on Sunday.

Hertha and Cottbus fined following crowd trouble - 15/02/2002

Source: Reuters

Hertha Berlin and Energie Cottbus have been fined by the German football association (DFB) following crowd disturbances during their Bundesliga game last week. The kickoff was delayed by five minutes and the game interrupted shortly afterwards as both sets of fans let off fireworks and smoke bombs. The DFB's disciplinary committee fined home club Cottbus 40,000 euros ($34,900) and Hertha 15,000 euros. 'Energie Cottbus were threatened that in a repeat of such an event they would have to play behind closed doors or find their game switched to a different location,' the DFB said in a statement on Friday. Both clubs have until Monday to make an appeal. Cottbus have responded to the disturbances by banning two groups of 'ultra' fans who they suspect of setting fire to a section of the stands. The club also plans to study video footage to identify the individuals involved and to toughen their security measures.

Racing Buenos Aires - Independiente - 18/02/2002

Source: AFP

Two persons were killed and about 10 others suffered bullet wounds during clashes between supporters of Argentina’s rival Racing and Independiente football teams, medical officials said. They said a 24-year-old man was stabbed to death and another aged 19 was shot dead. Several others were treated for knife cuts and other injuries, officials at the Fiorito hospital near Buenos Aires said yesterday. Among those treated at the Fiorito hospital outside the capital was “a 12-year-old boy who suffered a bullet wound in the thorax and had to undergo emergency treatment,” a spokesman said.

Inter Milan - AEK Athenes - 21/02/2002

Source: Reuters

An Inter Milan fan was seriously injured after he fell from the second tier of the San Siro stadium during Inter's 3-1 win over AEK Athens in the UEFA Cup fourth round, first leg tie on Thursday.
Eye witnesses said the supporter fell head first over a safety railing while celebrating Inter's third goal after 56 minutes, before crashing into plastic seating around 15 metres below. Medical staff were quickly on the scene and stretchered away the fan, who was suffering from an open wound to the head. A stream of blood was left on the seating where the supporter had landed, indicating a heavy loss of blood. A spokesman for Inter Milan said that the young fan had been taken to a nearby hospital but gave no details of his condition. The incident happened at the north end of the stadium, whose second tier is the traditional home to Inter supporters. At the post-match news conference, Inter Milan coach Hector Cuper declined to comment on the result or the match. 'A serious incident like this involving one of our supporters makes the game unimportant to talk about,' he said. 'We are all very shaken by what has happened and I don't want to talk about the match. All our thoughts are with our supporter.'

Oxford City - Exeter City - 23/02/2002

Source: BBC

Police dealt with clashes between 30 and 50 football supporters on the streets of Oxford before the match began. Police, who described the disorder as "significant", eventually separated the two groups before giving the fans an escort to the stadium.

Sheffield Wednesday - Rotherham United - 23/02/2002

Source: BBC

During the match riot police joined stewards to hold back a mob trying to climb from the main stand into the Leppings Lane end. After the game about 50 Sheffield United fans, whose team was playing in London, made their way to the Brown Bear pub in the City Centre, where they confronted a similar sized mob of Wednesday hooligans. They fought outside the pub until the police arrived to split them up. There were further clashes later in the evening.

Chester City - Hereford United - 23/02/2002

Source: BBC

Fighting broke out in the streets and inside three bars before the match. Police urged publicans to lock their doors after the match and gave supporters an escort to and from the ground.

Shrewsbury Town - Mansfield Town - 23/02/2002

Source: Shropshire Star Website + BBC

Trouble flared in Shrewsbury at the weekend when five people were arrested after confrontations between supporters and police, sparked by Shrewsbury Town's Division Three clash with Mansfield. Extra police were drafted in on Saturday to ward off any trouble after it was discovered that around 1,000 Mansfield supporters were coming to the match. But a series of incidents still flared up, with some arrests being made 15 minutes before kick-off when officers were confronted by crowds in the Castle Foregate area, near the town's railway station. Landlords in the area closed their doors. One licensee said he spotted about 100 youths being followed by about 80 police officers during the afternoon. In one clash an officer was pulled to the ground and a traffic cone was thrown as officers from West Mercia and the British Transport Police chased trouble-makers along Chester Street. Trouble started again after the game, when a number of Mansfield supporters left the Gay Meadow before the final whistle. Officers were deployed to stop them from meeting Shrewsbury supporters leaving the game. Terry Knight, landlord of The Crown Inn in Abbey Foregate, said he had been warned that there could be trouble by a Mansfield fan. He said: "We were warned at 11am by a Mansfield supporter. He said there was a minibus full of supporters coming here to cause trouble. "We didn't have any problems here, but after the match it flared up in Abbey Foregate and by all accounts there were running battles all the way up the street." Pete Brookes, landlord of the Bricklayers Arms in Abbey Foregate, added: "For about 10 minutes it was absolute bedlam, with about 100 youths followed by around 80 police officers, but it passed by very quickly." Other pubs in town also closed their doors to avoid trouble after seeing police and riot vans in the town. A spokesman for Shrewsbury police said five people were arrested for public order offences before and after the match, including two from Shrewsbury and three from Mansfield. The men have been bailed to appear at Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court on Thursday. There was not believed to have been any trouble at Shrewsbury's Gay Meadow ground during the game itself.
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There was serious disorder before kick-off near the railway station. In one clash a police officer was pulled to the ground and police officers chased trouble-makers along Chester Street. Trouble started again after a number of Mansfield supporters left the ground before the final whistle. Five men were arrested for public order offences.

Sunderland - Newcastle United - 24/02/2002

Source:BBC

After the match a mob of around 200 Sunderland supporters turned on the police, hurling bottles and bricks. Police horses and dogs were injured in the disturbances which led to 38 arrests.

Huddersfield Town - Cardiff City - 26/02/2002

Source:BBC

Four football fans were arrested even though the match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. A large group of Cardiff hooligans in the Cherry Tree pub was surrounded by police. Officers from four different police forces escorted the Cardiff coaches down the M1, blocking off exits with motorcycle riders.

Football fans turn violent in Kabul - 16/02/2002

Source: AFP

Between 15 and 20 Afghans and three foreign troops were injured on Friday as angry mobs brawled outside Kabul’s football stadium during a match between Kabul United and a team of international soldiers, an official said.

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) spokesman Major Neal Peckham said Afghan police had fired about 12 shots over the heads of the crowd, while an eyewitness saw Afghan police kicking and whipping stone-throwing fans trying to get into the already full stadium.

Three soldiers suffered minor cuts to the face while “15 to 20 Afghans” were injured, Peckham said.

About 600 ISAF soldiers were at the match, half of them deployed to keep order outside the stadium, the rest cheering on their team, which comprised soldiers from countries such as Denmark, Britain, France and Italy.

Some 25,000 fans packed into the ground for the historic match between the de-facto national side and an ISAF team, with about another 15,000 being refused entry because there was no more room.

The violence erupted as fans tried to force their way into the stadium past ISAF personnel, with stick-wielding Afghan police beating them back from the stadium’s six entrances.

Some in the crowd began throwing stones at police and ISAF troops, who used fire extinguishers on the crowd and brought in dogs and a squadron kitted out in riot gear.

They eventually restored calm by parking armoured vehicles across all gates into the stadium.

Inside the battle-scarred arena, fans and players observed a minute’s silence before the game in memory of Aviation Minister Abdul Rahman.

Fortuna Sittard - PSV Eindhoven - 03/02/2002

Source: Soccer Fans

Before the game, at 14.00, a mob consisting of mainly young PSV Eindhoven casual lads, gathered at the Sittard Town Market Square at a local Pub. The Sittard City Police Force was surprised by this number and early time, and called for preliminary backup forces. However, the situation remained calm and the Police Force stayed out of sight around the corners of the Market Square. At 16.15, suddenly, a large fight occured between the local Fortuna Sittard lads, supported by hools from R.C. Genk ( Belgium ) and K.V.V. Geel ( Belgium ), and the PSV lads. Tables, chairs, belts and feet/fists were used, and also glasses and bottles were thrown at eachother. The PSV lads chased the Fortuna Sittard/Genk/Geel lads off the Sittard Town Market Square. Almost immediatly, local Police Force forced the PSV lads back into their pub ( pic 1 ), and waited for backup ( pic 2 ). Additional Dutch Riot Police kept the PSV lads which were cornered in their pub ( pic 3 ) and subsequently arrested 61 PSV lads. During the latter half of the game, which started at 19.30, the PSV lads were released from the local Police Station and escorted by a sizable police force out of Sittard-Town.

Atalanta Bergamo - Brescia - 10/02/2002

Source: Soccer Fans

This derby game is always classified as high-risk. 600 Policemen were present to secure the stadium area, as well as the Central Station in Bergamo. However, incidents still occured before the game, when the Brescia Bus came near the stadium. Atalanta Ultras tried to force the police line, which resulted into charges.
After the game, incidents occured again, in total only 6 Atalanta fans have been arrested.

Glasgow Rangers - Feyenoord Rotterdam - 21/02/2002

Source: Press

A Rangers official has described violence before the team's Uefa Cup match against Feyenoord as the worst he has seen in nine years.
Police made 36 arrests after scuffles broke out at Ibrox between a section of the Rangers and the Dutch club's supporters.
Rangers operations executive, Laurence McIntyre, who viewed security film of the incident, said the Dutch fans had started the trouble by charging at the home fans.
Don't go to Rotterdam if you don't have a ticket issued officially by the club.
He said: "They were the worst scenes that I have witnessed in the last nine years.
"I had a brief look at a film, and quite clearly we had a situation where there was a sudden surge of Dutch fans towards the home fans without any provocation at all."
About 2,500 Rangers supporters are expected to travel to next week's second leg in Rotterdam. But Mr McIntyre urged fans without tickets not to travel.
He said: "This gives me an opportunity to make an appeal to all other Rangers fans. "Don't go to Rotterdam if you don't have a ticket issued officially by the club.
"If incidents like that can arise by 2,500 supporters coming to Glasgow then you really have to have a genuine concern for what potentially could happen in Rotterdam."

Police target English hooligans - 08/02/2002

Source: Bolton Evening News

OFFICERS from Greater Manchester Police's Football Intelligence Unit will be targeting known football hooligans in the run up to next Wednesday's friendly between England and Holland.

The two teams are due to play in Amsterdam at 8.30pm on Wednesday and Operation Goal is being launched at Manchester airport, on Monday, ahead of the game.

High-profile uniformed officers will be patrolling the airport, alongside officers from the Football Intelligence Unit who will be identifying known troublemakers and preventing them from travelling to the match.

The Football Intelligence Unit is a dedicated unit working to identify known hooligans, which has had a great deal of success in the past. During Euro 2000, officers from the unit helped identify individuals who were brought to the attention of the authorities in Germany.

A number of known troublemakers were refused entry to Dusseldorf as a result of intelligence supplied by GMP, others were also discouraged from travelling after being advised by officers from the unit that they would not gain entry to the country.

DC Mark Gilmour who is leading today's operation said: "The information we gather on hooligans can be vital for other countries in preventing trouble at matches, and I can assure known troublemakers we will pass on any information we have.

"I would warn anyone attempting to travel to Wednesday's game that they will be checked on leaving the country and those trying to travel whilst the subject of a banning order will be stopped."

Blackburn: Hooligans' website is closed down - 13/02/2002

Source: Lancashire Evening Telegraph

A SOCCER hooligans' website promoting violence and racism has been closed down.

The site included a calendar of forthcoming games with details of organised trouble and was linked to gangs throughout the North West including Blackburn.

It was created on the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's thisislancashire website using the CommuniGate service, which is aimed at enabling community groups, sport organisations or charities to set up their own site for free.

The hooligan site was spotted by staff as soon as it went online and was then reported to the police.

Called Blackburn Youth, the hooligan site also gave details of planned trouble during England's World Cup 2002 tour, which kicks off in June.

The website also contained bulletin boards so the thugs could swap messages, updates on the trouble so far this season, newspaper cuttings about football trouble and songs.

Soccer hooligans are increasingly using modern technology including the internet and mobile phones to co-ordinate their activities.

FC Banik Ostrava - SK Slavia Prague - 24/02/2002

Source: hooligans.cz

During the match young Banik hools broken bariers to the visitors end. They wanted to attack Slavia lads, but police got involved very soon a stopped them. There was arranged fight outside the city. Both sides (28 against 23) fought without weapons. Easy victory for Banik.

AC Sparta Prague - SFC Opava - 24/02/2002

Source: hooligans.cz

Before the match attacked a group of 14 Sparta hools 16 hools from Opava, which were in tramway. It was short, but really hard fight. 2 Opava and 1 Sparta hools were hospitalized. Nobody was arrested.

Paris SG - Marseille - Cup - 10/02/2002

Source : Local Press