Season 07/08 - September

Norway dignitaries in fear of angry Chelsea fans - 19/09/2007

Source: Reuters

A Norwegian minister and the country's richest man fled their seats during Tuesday's Champions League match between Chelsea and Rosenborg fearing a backlash by angry home fans, Norwegian media reported.

Irate Chelsea fans hurled insults at Trond Giske, minister of cultural and church affairs, and shipping tycoon John Fredriksen when the pair cheered defender Miika Koppinen's first-half goal for Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge.

They fled their VIP seats when Chelsea supporters around them showered them with expletives and chanted: 'Go home, Go home,' according to daily newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv.

'We interpreted the situation as a bit unsafe,' Giske told news agency NTB.

'We were 40 Norwegians in the middle of a Chelsea tribune, at half time we were given quieter seats at our own request.'

Norway's national coach Aage Hareide and other members of the country's financial elite also left their seats and were moved to a stand occupied mainly by Norwegians.

Chelsea, who announced early on Thursday that coach Jose Mourinho had quit the club, equalised through Andriy Shevchenko.

Dinamo Zagreb - Ajax Amsterdam - 20/09/2007

Source : local press

Fights erupted between supporters. About 30 fans were wounded.

FC Groningen - Fiorentina - 20/09/2007

Source : Dagblad van het Noorden

Fans from both sides clashed in town. 3 Groningen and 1 Fiorentina fans were arrested.

RSC Anderlecht - Rapid Wien - 20/09/2007

Source : Mail - View from a Rapid fan

30 to 40 Rapid fans were arrested without reason by the police. We were very angry about that, so some scuffles erupted with cops.

Hooligans jailed for blinding man - 22/09/2007

Source : BBC News

Six football fans have been sentenced for their part in violence at a match which left a steward permanently blinded in one eye.
Birmingham City fans threw seats, coins and a lump of concrete during a match at Cardiff's Ninian Park last August.

One of the missiles hit steward Roger Llewellyn-Mortimer in the face.

Five men were jailed for up to eight months and a sixth given a suspended sentence after they admitted affray. All received lengthy banning orders.

'No regard for anyone'

Cardiff Crown Court heard the men were identified from footage recorded at the match.

In a statement, Mr Llewellyn-Mortimer described how his left eye was hit with an "unbelievable" force.

"They paid no regard to the terrified men, women and children around them," he added.

Peter Davies, prosecuting, said one woman at the match with her children for a birthday treat was physically sick after leaving the ground.

Martin Bowman, 36, of Eastfield Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, was sentenced to eight months for breaking seats and throwing one.

Stamping on seats

Mark Brennan, 31, of Tibland Road, Birmingham, who stamped on a seat but did not throw anything, was jailed for three months.

Lee Devine, 32, of Chisholm Grove, Acocks Green, Birmingham, who has 22 previous convictions and was given a football banning order in May, was sentenced to four months.

James McCarthy, 24, of Lapworth Oaks, Lapworth, Warwickshire, was jailed for three months for stamping on a seat.

Billy Whiteside, 18, of Addenbrooke Road, Smethwick, was sentenced to three months in a young offenders' institution.

Martin Morgan, 52, of St Helens Road, Solihull, was given a three-month sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Bowman, Brennan, Devine, McCarthy and Whiteside were given six-year football banning orders, while Morgan received a three-year ban.

UEFA: No tolerance for racism - 21/09/2007

Source : UEFA website

The UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup are the flagship European club competitions - and the whole world will be watching. With such an audience, UEFA are determined that the spectre of racism will not raise its head during the new season.

Mission
It has long been a mission of UEFA to stamp out prejudice of all kinds throughout the European game and to support all organisations dedicated to that end - the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) week in October being a particular case in point. And since the arrival of Michael Platini as UEFA President and David Taylor in the role of UEFA General Secretary, that commitment has been particularly emphasised.

Example
"Football owes itself to be an example in our societies," Mr Platini said prior to the UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco. "Football must teach values to Europe - honesty, courage, fraternity, tolerance and peace. Football includes, integrates, and welcomes. It excludes no one, it discriminates against no one, it persecutes no one. The battle that we have undertaken against racism and discrimination is a combat which will only stop when these phenomena have disappeared from our stadiums. With the [UEFA] Executive Committee, we will continue to be intransigent."

Sanctions
Therefore, there will be no tolerance for those who use racist language. "I don't know who they are, I don't know what interest they have in football," Mr Taylor said. "They are not welcome in football or anywhere near it. UEFA has its approach to these problems. We will kick clubs out of European competitions, even national teams if players or supporters act in a racist way. These sort of sanctions are there and UEFA will not be afraid to use them if the circumstances are serious enough. So we have no tolerance for racist behaviour."

Campaigns
Punishment is not the only strand to UEFA's anti-racism stance. Working with FARE and similar bodies has been a cornerstone for some years, and Mr Taylor confirmed that such support, financial and through the use of UEFA's influence and reputation, remains a central pillar. "On the more positive side, we do need to work with and are working with and providing financial support to organisations who are continually leading the campaign, the publicity campaign," he said. "It's important we use top players and coaches to demonstrate to those interested in football that the leaders of our game want this out of football completely."

Passion
This is not about eradicating passion from football supporting, of course, but it is about leaving no doubt where the line is drawn between a fans' free speech and unacceptable abuse. In his Monaco speech, Mr Platini explained: "When a forward misses a certain goal, when a goalkeeper makes an error with a simple shot, this is totally acceptable. But racism and violence in football are completely unacceptable in football - there must be zero tolerance."

Rallying cry
The UEFA President concluded with a rallying cry: "We have already taken severe measures, and we will continue to take them while we have not eradicated this scourge ... Do not submit to the blackmail of certain groups who only represent themselves. Make the effort to implement a system of qualified stewards. Only recognize supporters' associations which clearly and unambiguously reject violence and racism. Together, let us change football and make it more united, more fraternal and more fun to enjoy."

Arsenal star 'had weapon' - 18/09/2007

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk

A YOUNG Arsenal star was arrested on suspicion of carrying a lethal knuckle-duster at the Spurs match on Saturday.

French international Armand Traore, 17, was allegedly caught with the weapon outside a turnstile at White Hart Lane.

The first team squad member, who was not playing, had gone to watch with a pal.

Stewards are said to have seen him acting suspiciously and asked him to turn out his pockets.

Police were called and both men were arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.

They were taken into custody for questioning and Traore was given a formal warning.

A club insider said: “Armand had no idea he’d done anything wrong because the laws are different in France.”

An Arsenal spokesman said: “He has apologised.”

Slavia Praha - Steaua Bucharest - 19/09/2007

Source : fcsteaua.ro + slaviaforever.cz + stadium

Steaua fans light many pyro in the first half.
4 people was arrested.








VIDEO : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tyZcpquqfE

Dinamo Bucharest - Elfsborg - 20/09/2007

Source : Realitatea

Dinamo fans beat one steward. Identification was very simple because police force film everything.

VIDEO : http://www.realitatea.net/playlive2.php?file=/media/video/video_001_00091111_1190374319_00.flv&titlulive=Angajatul%20firmei%20de%20securitate%20a%20fost%20lovit%20de%20doi%20suporteri

SV Darmstadt 98 - Eintracht Frankfurt II - 22/09/2007

Source: http://www.viktoria-moemlingen.de + OTS

Eintracht fans broke a barrier. Police intervened rapidely.

Vitesse Arnhem - De Graafschap - 21/09/2007

Source: forum

A toe-to-toe erupted in a park, opposing both sides. No one retreated and a few arrests were made on local side.

Sampdoria - Genoa - 23/09/2007

Source: mail (thanks to the sender)

It just kicked off outside the ground between Sampdoria and Genoas (200 vs 250). Half an hour of punches and kicks with a a few injured, before the police stepped in.
Game could be called off if more troubles are happenning.

*************************************************************

Source : ANSA

About 500 rival «ultra» fans clashed outside Stadio Luigi Ferraris before the game in what was reportedly an organized fight. They were separated by police. 4 fans were injured.

VIDEO: http://www.ilsecoloxix.it/genova/view.php?DIR=/genova/documenti/2007/09/23/&CODE=19ef6eea-69e7-11dc-939b-0003badbebe4

RSC Charleroi - FC Bruges - 23/09/2007

Source: mail (thanks to the sender)

30 Charleroi took an off with 30 Bruges on a car park far away from the city center. After 2 local charges and about 1m30 of punches, Bruges retreated. Video will prove it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: Bruges view (mail - thanks to the sender)

a meeting was arranged just outside the city centre, plans were 30 vs 30 mostly youth, the bruges mob came togetter on the way to charleroi with 35 lads mostly young boys (15-23 year) and only 3 older boys, charleroi called that they were on there way with 45 lads, so we moved to the meeting point
when we arrived charleroi was there with 45-50 mostly older boys , we walked up to them and they to us and the fight begun, we made theme go back, they regrouped and they made us go back, at that point only a few from us were standing in the frontline because someone shouted that the police was there (what wasn't) so a part from our lads took a run to there cars
conclusion: a fair fight only fist and boot's, people who were on the ground were not touched, respect for the charleroi group i hope you will come to give us a visit also, and well aranged
nice afternoon

Hallescher FC - Sachsen Leipzig - 22/09/2007

Source: http://www.hfc-fanatics.de

Empoli - SC Napoli - 23/09/2007

Source: Ansa

An Empoli fan was injured and hospitalized as he tried to escaped the assault of the police forces, after that a Napoli coach was attacked by the local tifosi. Police restored order. Two other Empoli fans were inured.
Another one was arrested.

Lyon - Lille OSC - 23/09/2007

Source: View from a Lyon lad

A very good fight erupted the day before the game, between 70 Lyon lads and 30 Lille lads. Lyon won. Respect to the Lille lads.


Lyon mob

Mouscron - SK Lokeren - 22/09/2007

Source: forum

Nine Mouscron ultras were arrested after they used some fireworks.

Savona - Sanremese - 23/09/2007

Source : AGI News

After the game, 30 Savona tifosi clashed with the police forces.

AS Roma - Juve - 23/09/2007

Source : Il Messaggero

Two Juve tifosi were arrested after they attacked a steward inside the stadium.

Southampton - Barnsley - 22/09/2007

Source: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk

Fans anger as brawl breaks out at police-free Saints match

A MASS brawl broke out between football fans on the streets of Southampton just minutes after Saints' 3-2 defeat to Barnsley yesterday.

Some fans have even said they were scared for their lives during the violence.

Police were not immediately on hand to deal with the fighting as the match had been deemed "police-free" and safe for officers not attend.

Dozens of supporters of both teams were involved in the fighting, which happened in Britannia Road immediately outside St Mary's Stadium at 5pm.

One man was knocked unconscious and two people were arrested on suspicion of assault.

Saints fan Mark Adams, from Bitterne Park, was at the match with his 11-year-old son Harry.
advertisement

Mark, 43, a Royal Mail driver, said: "There were only 200 Barnsley fans there, but 50 or 60 of them were out in Britannia Road after the match, lashing out at any Saints fans going past. It was awful, I haven't seen it that bad for ages.

"There were no police on site because it was deemed a low category game and it took the police 10 minutes to get there. If the police had been there, it would have been nipped in the bud."

Another Saints fan told the Daily Echo: "The fighting went on for over 10 minutes. Visiting fans were cramped into a coach while it was battered with sticks. My family were scared for their lives."

Superintendent Terry Stevens, Southampton local commander, said the football club meets with police ahead of every football season to plan policing at matches. Matches are risk-assessed to decide which ones can be police-free.

He added: "Any future Southampton home matches against Barnsley will obviously now be assessed taking into account the disorder of this match."

A spokesman for Southampton Football Club said a debriefing meeting following Saturday's match would be held tomorrow.

Atalanta - Lazio - 23/09/2007

Source : Reuters

Rome police arrest 66 armed Lazio fans

Italian police have arrested 66 fans of Lazio, some of them armed with knives, machetes, clubs and knuckle-dusters, in a major crackdown on football hooligans.

Police told a news conference on Monday that the fans had been stopped on Sunday as they set off for a Serie A match against Atalanta in Bergamo. They were later released from custody pending possible charges.

'We managed to avoid the worst of it,' said Lamberto Giannini, head of the special police unit that carried out the arrests.

Italian soccer has been beset by crowd trouble in recent years and is still recovering from the death of a police officer at a Serie A game in Catania in February.

Sunday's derby match between Genoa and Sampdoria was marred by clashes between rivals fans before kick-off.

Getafe - FC Twente - 20/09/2007

Source : ABC + Press

At the end of the game, Twente fans clashed with the Spanish police.

Brondby - FC Copenhagen - 23/09/2007

Source : local press

RC Lens - Lille OSC - League Cup - 26/09/2007

Source: mail

Sandecja Nowy Sacz - Legia Warszawa - 25/09/2007

Source : http://fotoplenka.ru

Troubles on the pitch. Local hooligans tried to reach Legia supporters, but stopped by the police.