Season 08/09 - January

Tyne-Wear derby day drama warning - 31/01/2009

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

THE region is gearing up for one of the most significant Tyne-Wear derbies in decades.

Sunderland will travel to St James’s Park to play Newcastle United tomorrow, with just three points separating the clubs in the league table.

The fixture has extra significance given the recent turmoil at United, which has seen stars like Michael Owen and Joey Barton ruled out through injury, Shay Given on the brink of leaving and midfielder Charles N’Zogbia refusing to play for boss Joe Kinnear again.

Trouble flared after the last two derbies and police last night warned supporters of both sides to be on their best behaviour or face stiff action.

Chief Supt Neil MacKay, of Northumbria Police’s operations unit, said: “The overwhelming majority of fans are well behaved and want nothing more than to attend this exciting family event, free from the fear of disorder, violence or crime.

“Those fans attending football matches with the intent of causing disorder are attending for entirely the wrong reasons. True fans, whose first priority is the game itself, should continue to work alongside us to make football a safe and secure event for all concerned.

“I would warn anyone considering causing trouble on the day that we will take action to ensure that they are arrested and brought before the courts for their selfish actions.”

After the last St James’s Park fixture, a Magpies mob went on the rampage, hurling abuse at rival fans and pushing against the police cordon. That has led to a string of football banning orders being issued and one man – Raymond Etchells, 34, of Dunston, Gateshead – jailed for three months and banned for six years after using a wheelie bin as a battering ram.

There was also disorder after this season’s game at the Stadium of Light, which saw Sunderland triumph 2-1. Fans fought on the pitch, a firework was thrown at a police horse and a British Transport Police officer had his wrist broken while controlling travelling United supporters.

After a post match inquiry into that game, 35 people were arrested. Three were released with no further action, three have been cautioned and 29 people were charged for a variety of offences including public order offences, pitch encroachment, criminal damage and assault.

Chief Supt MacKay said: “These arrests demonstrate our continuing commitment to preventing disorder at football matches and spoiling these events for true football fans.” Supporters’ groups also urged calm. Neil Warren, from the Billingham branch of Sunderland supporters’ club, said: “I think we will beat Newcastle. Sunderland is doing all right at the moment. Hopefully there will be no trouble on the day as I think the police will have it all sorted. They know what is going on and they do a canny job.”

Michael Ord, a spokesman for the Newcastle United Supporters’ Club, said: “I think most Newcastle fans including myself are extremely nervous about it but we should be filled with hope. I think that the important thing is to get behind the team and try and be an extra man on the pitch for them.

“But I think we have not won for some time and Sunderland are on the back of a win in the last game and we have a very very thin squad with a lot of injuries. It also is hard with all the problems the club has had. Nobody does their best when the future is uncertain. I really hope there is going to be no trouble on the day.”

Sunderland fans are also being advised to use the free buses being laid on by the club. The coaches will meet up at the Stadium of Light between 10.30-11am, after which they will be escorted to Newcastle in good time for kick off at 1.30pm.

Niall's message

SUNDERLAND chairman Niall Quinn has sent a stark message to fans thinking of causing trouble at Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby.

His plea for good behaviour came as the Football Association confirmed that Sunderland had taken all precautions necessary to prevent disorder at this season’s first meeting between the clubs in October.

A number of fans invaded the pitch at the end of the game – which saw Sunderland run out 2-1 victors.

More than 40 Newcastle and Sunderland fans were arrested in the aftermath of the match, which saw both sets of supporters taunting each other.

Yesterday Quinn expressed his hope that there would be no repeat of the trouble on Sunday.

Quinn said: "All fans have to understand that any form of anti-social behaviour is not acceptable to the club or other supporters.

"While the vast majority of supporters were well behaved in October, the small minority from both clubs who were not tarnished the reputation of their respective clubs and this could have led to serious sanctions being taken against us.

"The law is quite simple – any supporter who attempts to go on the pitch during or after a game may be arrested."



*********************************************************
Source: Sunderland Echo

Judge's warning over derby fever

A judge has warned that football violence is reaching fever pitch ahead of tomorrow's derby clash.
District Judge Roger Elsey said clashes were leaving real fans in fear, as he sentenced an SAFC fan for invading the pitch after the Sunderland-Newcastle clash at the Stadium of Light earlier this season.

Marc Jon Scantlebury went on to the playin
ADVERTISEMENT
g area after the game on Saturday, October 25, which was marred by disorder and violence.

Sunderland Magistrates' Court heard yesterday that Scantlebury, who represented himself, had previous convictions for violence.

Scantlebury, 25, of Railway Terrace, New Herrington, was fined £150 and ordered to pay £40 court costs.

He was also made the subject of a three-year football banning order, meaning he cannot attend any regulated football matches during that time and must keep away from the Stadium of Light in the hours before and after home games.

Summing up, District Judge Elsey said: "Rivalry between Newcastle and Sunderland has reached a ridiculous pitch and it has to come to an end.

"Football fans attending derby games are in fear because of the actions of some."

The hearing at the city court was the latest in the fallout from the derby game in October.

Glen Jones, 38, of Dunelm Street, South Shields, also appeared yesterday, charged with using threatening behaviour and invading the pitch at Sunderland.

He was given an interim football banning order until a second hearing at the city court on February 13.

Black Cats bosses have this week been cleared of mishandling the match.

A Football Association probe into a number of incidents at October's derby has confirmed that Sunderland AFC's safety operation was carried out correctly.

The club helped police to track down more than 40 Sunderland and Newcastle fans who were caught up in the violence and later arrested.

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

Source: Sleaford Standard

FC chairman in Derby warning to fans

Sunderland FC chairman Niall Quinn has warned fans to behave themselves at this weekend's derby match against Newcastle.
He told fans that any form of anti-social behaviour was "not acceptable to the club or other supporters".

"The law is quite simple - any supporter who attempts to go on the pitch during or after a game may be arrested and they will face the conseq
ADVERTISEMENT
uences of their actions regarding any anti-social behaviour," he said.

"The club will continue to adopt the strongest possible stance to stamp out any anti-social behaviour by home and visiting fans.

"Whilst we want all fans to be passionate about their team this weekend we also hope both sets of fans behave appropriately to represent their clubs in the true spirit of a Tyne-Wear derby."

His warning came as the Football Association concluded its inquiry into the spate of violence following the derby at the Stadium of Light in October, in which 40 fans were arrested.

The FA found that Sunderland's match day safety operation was carried out correctly and that every precaution necessary had been taken to minimise the potential for disorder, the club said.

Kettering Town - Fulham FC - FA Cup - 24/01/2009

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

Six arrested at Kettering v Fulham match

Six people were arrested during the afternoon of Kettering Town's FA Cup fourth round match against Fulham.
The six, who were taken into custody at Corby Police Station on Saturday 24 January, were all arrested on suspicion of committing public order offences.

Three men have since been charged. They are an 18-year-old from Kettering, a 26-year-old from Wellingborough and a 22-year-old from Uxbridge. The Force has also applied for football banning orders for all three men.

An 18-year-old from Mitcham was handed a penalty notice and a 26-year-old Wellingborough man and a 20-year-old Kettering man have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Armed gang attacks Argentine club Newell's - 27/01/2009

Source: Reuters

The headquarters of Argentine first division club Newell's Old Boys was attacked by an armed gang who vandalised property and intimidated staff, police and club officials told local media on Monday.

The gang, numbering around 30 and armed with guns and baseball bats, were believed to belong to a faction of the Rosario-based club's own supporters, officials added. Twenty-one people were arrested.

Newell's treasurer Jorge Ricobelli told local media that the gang burst into administrative officers at the club's Parque Independencia stadium where new members were enrolling.

They then moved on to the barbecue area and a covered gymnasium, forcing members to leave, vandalising property and firing shots at a tree and a water tank, reports said.

Rosario police official Miguel Angel Rodriguez told reporters that the gang was linked to the club's own fans.

Newell's, one of the country's most popular provincial clubs, have recently undergone a tumultuous leadership change, with the controversial, long-serving president Eduardo Lopez defeated in last month's elections by a new group led by Guillermo Llorente.

Argentine soccer suffers from chronic soccer hooliganism blamed largely on groups of hardcore fans known as barras bravas.

Many groups are split into factions who sometimes fight among themselves and often take sides in internal political disputes between directors.

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

Football Fans Attack Team Office in Argentina

Source : Herald Tribune

Twenty-one people were arrested when fans of football club Newell's Old Boys attacked and tried to occupy team offices in the Argentine city of Rosario, police said Tuesday.

The fans, traveling on two buses and some of them armed, stormed the team's administrative office on Monday, causing damage to the facility.

This was the second violent incident involving Newell's Old Boys since December, when Eduardo Lopez was defeated in team elections after spending 14 years as club president.

Police in Rosario, located 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Buenos Aires, seized a pistol, six knives, sticks and the two buses used by the fans to stage their attack.

"They came in like madmen, armed and firing shots. It could have been a tragedy. They destroyed the administrative offices until the police arrived," Newell's secretary-general Pablo Morosano said.

The press reported Monday that a Boca Juniors fan was gunned down in front of his family.

Investigators linked the killing to the internal dispute that has been taking place for months at Argentina's most popular team.

Panathinaikos - Olympiakos Pireus - Volley-ball game played in Patra - 31/01/2009

Source: http://www.sport.gr + https://www.youtube.com + http://www.sportdog.gr

Volleyball final off due to clashes

Panathinaikos refuse to start match

VolleyballThe final of the Greek Cup in volleyball between fierce rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiakos was called off on Sunday amid crowd trouble.

Panathinaikos refused to take begin the game unless the arena in Patras, which was hosting the final, was cleared of supporters because of fears for players' safety.

The police refused to remove supporters without the help of Olympiakos officials, who said they did not want their fans to be forced to leave.

There had been clashes inside and outside the stadium.

The Greek Volleyball Federation is due to meet on Monday to decide when or if the final will be played.

'Red Ultras' banner at Aberdeen spoilt classic Celtic clash - 25/01/2009

Source : Mirror.co.uk

The blatant flying of a ‘Red Ultras’ banner at Pittodrie during last weekend’s superb Aberdeen v Celtic match left a bad taste from an otherwise delicious Sunday lunch.

It may be true that the huge flag flown behind the goal is the work of some young fools who do not know the significance of the word, but they should not get the benefit of the doubt.

The history of Aberdeen’s casuals tells us they should be treated as potential criminals who are there to cause, at best, intimidation, and at worst, violence and damage. There is no reason on earth why law-abiding football fans of either team should have to rub shoulders with people who choose murderers as their mentors.

Don’t ask Middlesbrough’s supporters to forgive them, after Roman ‘ultras’ launched flares into a family pub where they gathered ahead of a UEFA Cup match with Roma three years ago.

Wielding knives, bicycle chains and hammers, they slashed their way into the crowded bar, among women and children, in what was a pre-meditated attack on anyone in there who happened to be from England. Three fans were taken to hospital with stab wounds. That no-one was more badly wounded was simply a matter of luck.

In February 2007, riots after the Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo claimed the life of police inspector Filippo Raciti.

Catania president Antonino Pulvirenti said: "They live like barbarians and for three years we have been held hostage by these people, but we can only do so much on our own."

And nine months later a fan was killed by a stray police bullet after Lazio louts clashed in an ambush with Juventus Ultras in a service station.

If the Italian clubs are powerless to deal with these lifestyle criminals, it is perhaps unrealistic to ask Aberdeen Football Club to cut the green shoots of the same problem inside Pittodrie.

So what are Grampian Police doing about it?

This week Real Madrid have been fined £2,800 after the match referee’s report of last Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Osasuna included fascist salutes and chants from their ‘Ultras Sur’.

So it seems the Spanish football authorities are up to speed with this phenomenon. It is high time the SPL brushed up on their intelligence, before flags become knives.

Our game has enough potential for serious trouble with the bile and bigotry that flourishes in Glasgow without inviting this vile new cancer to our stands.

That banner is a stain on Aberdeen FC – and clear proof that Grampian Police are not earning their lucrative match-day overtime.

Hamburg SV - Bayern Munich - 30/01/2009

Source : Press + : tz-online.de

Police made an intervention after the game with the aim to separate both sides of supporters who fought (70 on both sides), then, they escorted back Bayern supporters to the train station.
15 local fans were arrested.

SC Napoli - Udinese - 31/01/2009

Source: http://www.tuttonapoli.net

Tension outside the San Paolo stadium just before the game, when a mob of Curva A ultras mobbed up with the aim to attack the small amount of Udinese fans who arrived at the train station.
Police forces made an intervention but a policeman was injured with a brick.

Southampton FC - Swansea City - 31/01/2009

Source: http://www.thisishampshire.net

No arrests as hundreds of Southampton fans take to streets

HUNDREDS OF protesting Saints fans who marched through the city yesterday have today been priased by police.

Police estimate there were about 300 at the Bargate while organisers initially claimed closer to 1,000 turned out.

From the Bargate the group marched down past Hanover Buildings, across Hoglands Park and along Kingsway.

They then went into Old Northam Road, over the Iron Bridge and Britannia Road.

Banners carrying angry slogans were waved aloft while others were supporting a paper coffin.

The group, escorted by 35 police officers, met other fans outside St Mary's keen to show their feelings about PLC chairman Rupert Lowe and football board chairman Michael Wilde.

Chants of "Lowe out" and "Rupert has ruined our club" were roared up at the executive boxes.

A police spokesman said of yesterday's march: "Although the fans were very vocal the protest passed off peacefully and without incident."

The struggling Saints side drew 2-2 with Swansea City earning a valuable point as they fight to stay in the Championship.

After the final whistle about 150 fans gathered outside the ground and continued to protest.

The march was organised via a group discussion board on an internet social networking site.

Fans say they are angry the club is in the relegation zone and faces financial problems Mr Lowe was not at the game as he is away on holiday but Mr Wilde was in the directors' box.

Earlier this week the Daily Echo revealed that Mr Wilde had received a death threat from angry fans.

While Saints fans were praised several Swansea fans had to be thrown out during the match for their behaviour and another was arrested for assault at Southampton Central Station after the game at 7.25pm.

Hoffenheim - Energie Cottbus - 31/01/2009

Source: forum

Prior to the game, a fight opposed, inside a Mc Donalds, fans from both sides.
Police arrived very quickly.

Hertha Berlin - Eintracht Frankfurt - 31/01/2009

Source: forum

After the game a mob of 20 locals attacked Frankfurt supporters.

Atalanta - Bologna - 28/01/2009

Source : repubblica.it

A bus of Bologna fans attacked by local Ultras. A police car also damaged.


Translation: Underground Fans (c)

Karlsruhe - Wehen Wiesbaden (Cup) - 28/01/2009

Source : DDP + sport-news.ws

Some 30 local supporters tried to invade the main stand during the cup game against Wehen Wiesbaden (2nd division), to protest against the bad results of their team this season. They had to face the stadium's security and seven of them was arrested, while one has been sent to the hospital.
After the game, lost by Karlsruhe 0-1, 150 fans gathered one more time at the same place, withtout any troubles.



Translation: Underground Fans (c)

Borussia Dortmund - Werder Bremen (Cup) - 28/01/2009

Source : Police

After the game, the Police had to stop a fight between fans from both teams at the train station.

Translation: Underground Fans (c)

SC Heerenveen - Feyenoord Rotterdam - 16/01/2009

Source: local newspaper

Feyenoord's players stucked in a bus by their own fans

The incident happened after the game lost by the Feyenoord 3-1 against Heerenveen, while some fans were asking for Gertjan Verbeek to be fired.

After an hour of talks, fans finally let the bus free.

Translation Underground Fans (c)

Port Vale FC - Shrewsbury Town FC - 17/01/2009

Source : Mail

Coaches with Shrewsbury supporters were pelted with bricks and bottles by local fans.

Bordeaux - Paris SG - 11/01/2009

Source: Sud Ouest newspaper

At midnight, the night before the game, 60 PSG youths attacked more than 100 Bordeaux Ultras reinforced by the SHARP's and Germans from ST.Pauli.
A violent brawl erupted in the center. Weapons and flares were used.
4 Bordeaux Ultras were hospitalised.
40 policemen with dogs intervened rapidly. Police used cs-gas and riot guns.
One local fan was arrested.
Later in a bar, 8 PSG youths were arrested. They were handed prison sentences ranging from two weeks to one month.
The day of the game, 500 policemen were mobilized and a helicopter was used.

Translation Underground Fans

Kettering Town - Eastwood Town - FA Cup - 03/01/2009

Source: EM Pics

Kettering Town's Exodus Geohaghan is mobbed by the home fans after they invade the pitch after they defeat Eastwood Town.

England: Noel Gallagher admits to football hooligan past - 06/01/2009

Source : http://www.nme.com

Oasis man says he was part of a Man City 'firm'

Noel Gallagher has said he used to hang around with members of some of Manchester City's most notorious football hooligan firms before he signed a record deal.

The star, who was a regular on the Kippax Stand at City's old Maine Road ground in his youth, said he still keeps in touch with some of the firm members now, reports The Sun.

"I knew all that lot and I still see a few of them today," he said. "They were quite mad times. Half of us were on the dole."

Man City hooligan groups The Guv'nors and The Maine Line Service Crew were some of the most notorious and feared firms in the UK during the '80s.

The Oasis guitarist said he regularly used to wonder if he would get home without injuries after matches.

"The grounds we used to go to 20 years ago were dangerous, especially night games at Leeds and places like that, and wondering whether or not you'd make it home in one piece," he said

Gallagher also admitted that he tried to start his own chants at Maine Road on several occasions, which he now attributes as being his first dalliance with songwriting.

"I did start a song in the Kippax when I'd had a drink," said the guitarist. "Probably something like, 'Everywhere We Go' or similar and everyone joined in.

"So maybe the first seeds of my songwriting career were sown at the back of the Kippax."