Season 02/03 - April

Burnley: Police bid to avert soccer war of roses - 22/04/2003

Source: Lancashire Evening Telegraph

POLICE in Burnley are preparing for potential trouble in the weekend roses match with division one rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

High profile patrols are planned for Saturday's match at Turf Moor and the kick-off time has been moved forward in a bid to limit any possible disturbances.

Officers from Burnley will be liaising with colleagues in Sheffield and will be visiting the city this week to speak to known holligans and warn them off travelling to Lancashire.

So far more than 3,000 tickets have been sold to Wednesday fans for the game.

The Yorkshire team were relegated into division two after drawing their match on Bank Holiday Monday and messages from hooligans posted on an internet chatroom hint at trouble.

Sgt Graham Lister, of Burnley Police's Football Intelligence Unit, said they were doing all they could to prevent disturbances.

He said: "We will be working closely with colleagues in Sheffield and vistiting known trouble-makers down there and in Burnley to make sure they are not intending to go to the match and the kick-off time has been moved forward to try to avoid any trouble."

Earlier this month Chief Inspector Morgan praised the Lancashire Evening Telegraph for helping in the fight against football hooligans.

Chief Insp Morgan said the newspaper had played a major role in a police crackdown on violence among soccer thugs who claim to support Burnley Football Club.

He said articles published about Operation Fixture, a police initiative launched to crack down on troublemakers at Turf Moor, were regularly posted on an internet chatroom used by suspected football hooligans.

More than 100 arrests have been made since the launch of Operation Fixture in December.

Operation Fixture will carry on targeting hooligans for the rest of the season, during the closed season and through the 2003-2004 campaign.

Burnley Police was given Home Office funding of £170,000 towards its cost.

Bolton: Police war on violent street boozers - 28/04/2003

Source:The Bolton Evening News

DRINKERS who flout a booze ban in Bolton town centre face immediate arrest in a police crackdown on crime and hooliganism.

The move follows four vicious attacks -- one on a woman who will be scarred for life -- in the centre over the last seven days.

Police are warning Bolton landlords that their licences will be withdrawn and their pubs closed if the violence continues.

They say the 'zero tolerance' crackdown has been introduced to enforce the ban on drinking on the streets of the town centre.

Licensees are being warned not to serve people who are drunk and not to allow drinkers with alcohol onto the streets.

Det Sgt Bill Crittenden said: "The violence over the last seven days is unacceptable and we believe it to be drink related.

"People should be able to go out at night without being seriously injured. What type of message does this give out to people visiting Bolton?

"We want everyone to be aware that drinking in Bolton town centre is not allowed.

"The ban on drinking alcohol has been in force since 1993 and we will now be enforcing it rigorously. We are operating a zero tolerance policy with regard to alcohol."

Det Sgt Crittenden appealed to Bolton's pub and club bosses in the town centre to play their part. "They have a responsibility to protect their customers. It is unacceptable and against the law to serve anyone who is drunk. Someone is going to die if the violence continues. Landlords should be aware that they could lose their licences and their pubs and clubs closed if they are believed to have contributed to any trouble."

A 35-year-old woman was attacked as she was walking past a pub in Nelson Square. The woman, who was on the way to meet her husband, was hit over the head with a glass as football hooligans from Wigan and Bolton clashed and her nose was badly gashed. She was taken to the facial injuries unit at Blackburn Royal Infirmary where she was still

detained today after an operation to repair her nose. Other victims included a 33-year-old man who was attacked the day after -- also in Nelson Square -- and suffered a broken cheek bone; a man stabbed in the chest after an argument and another man who suffered a fractured skull after being punched to the ground outside a Bolton pub. Licensees have blamed a small number of troublemakers for the violence.

John Jewitt, of Ye Olde Man and Scythe on Churchgate, said: "It's a pity that we cannot have people drinking out in the streets. It's down to a few idiots who cause trouble. I support what the police are trying to do but it is a shame that a small number of people can cause such destruction forcing them to take this sort of action."

Paul Hanlon, landlord at Muldoon's on Bradshawgate and a member of Bolton Licensees' Alliance, said: "We have restrictions on serving people who are very drunk and who take drinks outside. That's part of our job. Drinkers do want to take glasses on to the street when the weather's nice but we find that warning them of the £500 fine for having glass outside is usually enough to stop them."

Burnley at Forest: Soccer hooligans warned: Stay away - 19/04/2003

Source: Lancashire Evening Telegraph

HOOLIGANS are being warned to stay away from Burnley Football Club's away game at Nottingham on Monday.

The game will be the first time the two clubs have met since the death of a teenage Forest fan after an incident close to a Burnley pub in December.

17-year-old Nathan Shaw died in hospital after an alleged assault in St James Street, close to Yates's Wine Lodge.

Before the match kicks off Burnley's team captain will present the Nottingham Forest captain with a floral tribute as a mark of respect.

Several representatives of Burnley, including players, were also invited to attend Nathan's funeral.

A spokesman for Burnley Football Club said: "We have discussed what happened in Burnley with people at Nottingham Forest and we have built up a good relationship.

"We just want genuine fans to go to the game and anyone intent on causing trouble should just stay away."

The spokesman added that their own security services had not received any reports of pre-arranged clashes on Monday.

Tensions between both sets of fans, particularly their respective hooligan elements, are bound to be running high for the fixture at Nottingham's City Ground.

Police in Burnley and Nottingham have been working together to try and prevent clashes between fans at the Bank Holiday match.

Both Burnley Football Club and Nottingham Forest are giving their full co-operation to two police schemes aimed at tackling football violence.

In Burnley over 100 arrests have been made since Operation Fixture was launched in February and in Nottingham Pact (Police and Clubs Together Against Violence) has been hailed as a success.

Nottingham's deputy chief constable Howard Roberts said: "Our work to reclaim football for true fans and ensure stadiums are a trouble free and safe environment has started.

"This will undoubtedly allow us, as the scheme develops even more, to prevent the problem of football violence."

18-year-old Andrew McNee of Haslingden has been charged with the murder of Nathan Shaw and will appear at Preston Crown Court later in the year.

Glentoran - Portadown - Cup - 06/03/2003

Police to examine video footage of football trouble

Police are to examine video footage of violent scenes at the end of a local football match in Lurgan on Saturday.

Around 100 fans became embroiled in a riot towards the end of Saturday's Irish Cup semi-final between Glentoran and Portadown.
A number of supporters and match steward's were injured in the trouble as fans clashed on the pitch. Both sets of players and management had returned to their dressing rooms before the trouble took hold.
Glentoran manager Roy Coyle claimed the trouble was "an accident waiting to happen''. He said the match should have been played at Windsor Park given the better security arrangements at the national stadium.
Irish Football Association (IFA) president, Jim Boyce, criticised the violence and said it would be one of the topic's of discussion at an IFA meeting later in the week.
In the end, Glentoran ran out victors with a 6-1 win. They will meet Coleraine in next month's showpiece final in Belfast.

Mannheim - KSC - ??/04/2003

Source : Mail

Ajax Amsterdam - AC Milan - 08/04/2003

Source: Soccer Fans

Before the match a group of 40 lads from Milan, were searching for Ajax lads around our local hangout near the stadium. A group of 30 Ajax lads spotted them. and attacked the Milan fans.
after a short and good FAIR fight, the milan fans were running away. The riot police were too late for any arrests.

Ajax-Milan part 2 after the match!!!

After the match there were some rumours, that a group fc UTRECHT lads were waiting on their own ground at the station. to attack "normal" supporters from Ajax who went go home with the train.(the last matches from Ajax they did that). A group of 40 younger and a few older lads decided to take a visit with the train to Utrecht. when the arrived they saw a few "spotters" from Utrecht. but those were not atacked (respect fore those)because the group of Utrecht were standing near the 'jaarbeurs'(other site of the station)waiting for the Ajax lads, but they saw the Ajax lads were with a good group and more lads . so the Utrecht lads (about 20)decided too run away!! after a short run they were gone.... with the wind!!! when the Ajax lads were in the train, back to Amsterdam they heared that the Utrecht lads had mobilised. and want to attack the train. and they did! so the Ajax lads stopped the train, and get out of it. they were running AGAIN to the Utrecht lads ,but as before they decided to run the 40 miles in a minute.

Tottenham Hotspurs - Birmingham City - 08/04/2003

Source: Soccer Fans

Over 200 zulus got the 9-45am train to euston very hardcore hooligans on this train lads with bans too etc, went to the fly scotsman pub for a drink few leeds and sheff utd in there soon as we landed they left, at about 2pm we started to move to tottenham as we got there fucking loads of riot police waiting fucking loads we just pushed the police out of way few getin a slap too etc, police fucked us about big time with people from all over europe taking photos and video films too got to ground about 3-15 went past a pub next to a bookies looked like a nice firm of spurs in there but police horses blocked doorway and that when we got to ground few fights broke out and that with police after game good firm of us came out no spurs to be seen and that police get us into escoert again end of day very good turn out from zulus 200+ and think spurs had there lads out too but fucking old bill got it sorted big time in tottenham maybe next year.

Hearts of Midlothian - Celtic Glasgow - 19/04/2003

Source: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com - 22/04/2003

Football gangs' battle thwarted by police tip-off


A PLAN for an organised fight between rival football gangs in Edinburgh was thwarted after police were tipped off.

The thugs had planned a pitched battle in the Balgreen area of the capital ahead of Saturday’s match between Hearts and Celtic.

Officers from the Lothian and Borders force arrived in large numbers to escort the casuals to Tynecastle stadium, leaving the hooligans restricted to taunting rival supporters with Nazi salutes and obscenities.

Five people were later arrested at the game and ten were thrown out of the ground for threatening behaviour.

The arrests were made as police and football club bosses in the city have moved to stem a rising generation of football "casuals".

They have warned hooligans are again being spotted at Scottish Premier league matches.

Casual crews such as the CCS (Capital City Service), who were linked to Hibs, and the CSF (Casual Soccer Firm), linked to Hearts, caused violence in the 1980s and 1990s, but the problem seemed to disappear as those involved grew older.

However, senior officers said there had been a resurgence in Hearts casuals which was fuelled by the older hooligans teaming up with younger thugs.

Many of the older casuals are hooligans from the 1980s who "retired" to have families and hold down jobs.

They say they have returned because they miss the "buzz" of fighting.

A police source said: "We received intelligence that the football casuals were planning a pitched battle in Balgreen before the match. We deployed a number of officers to escort them to the ground which stopped any plans they may have had for fighting."

The source added: "Every force has football intelligence officers who will try and identify the ringleaders and their movements and discover what they are planning.

"This can be very difficult because what takes place is planned via mobile phones and when the police do get intelligence and turn up, suddenly there’s all these guys running around communicating on mobile phones and making other plans.

"However, on this occasion the casuals were unable to plan quick enough and trouble was reduced to a minimum."

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders police said: "We were aware trouble was anticipated and policed the match accordingly. There were five arrests and ten ejections from the ground."

A police source said the link up between the older and younger hooligans is one of the most worrying trends in football violence.

He said: "Guys that used to run about 10-15 years ago are back on the scene because they miss the violence and the fighting and want to get involved again. It’s very worrying that men who should know better are becoming involved in extreme violence."

Many of the older hooligans have links to far-right organisations such as Combat 18 and the British National Party.

The source said: "This younger group are coming through at the same time as the older ones are re-establishing themselves. With their links to extreme right-wing groups, it’s obviously a concern."

In August last year, police said they had smashed one of the city’s worst football hooligan gangs when they arrested five men in connection with serious trouble that flared following the season’s first Edinburgh derby between Hearts and Hibs.

Hooligans caused mayhem in Lothian Road in the wake of Hearts’ 5-1 victory over Hibs. Innocent bystanders were struck by missiles as the thugs threw bottles and traffic cones .

Real Madrid - Manchester United - 08/04/2003

Source : Mail

"Gremlins" were out to cause trouble - 05/04/2003

Source: http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s70/st22738

The Gremlins were among those arrested in Sunderland on Wednesday night as England took on Turkey at the Stadium of Light. Although they hadn't done anything wrong, police thought they would later go on to cause trouble, and lifted them while they could. Police arrested 95 England soccer fans before their team's Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey on Wednesday.
Police charged at England fans outside Sunderland's Stadium of Light minutes before the game after they tried to prevent Turkish supporters entering the ground, the BBC reported.

Northumbria Police spokesman Sue Nicholson said there had been clashes outside the stadium, although she could not confirm the BBC report. She said that three people, including two police officers, had been slightly injured.

Earlier, police entered a pub to arrest 25 fans connected to premier league clubs Newcastle United and Sunderland who they believed were planning trouble.

Northumbria Police superintendent Jim Campbell also confirmed that a contingent of Leeds United fans had been arrested after a stand-off in the city centre. Several skirmishes were also reported, but there were no injuries.

The match had been given high priority, with a maximum of 1,000 police officers on duty to prevent trouble between England fans and an expected 4,500 Turkish supporters.

Reports suggested the Leeds United fans were looking for revenge for the murder of two of their fans before a UEFA Cup tie against Galatasaray in Istanbul in 2000.

'We had reason to believe the Newcastle fans and the Sunderland fans, known as the Gremlins and the Seaburn Casuals, were planning violence,' said Campbell.

'We decided to nip anything in the bud before it actually happened.'

No Turkish fans were involved in trouble, superintendent Campbell said, with many playing football outside the stadium hours before kick-off.

Further trouble afterwards appeared to have been prevented as England recorded a 2-0 victory to go top of the table. Police reported no major incidents as fans made their way home.

Preston - Bradford City - 26/04/2003

Source : YouTube