Season 08/09 - March

FC Utrecht - Ajax Amsterdam - 01/03/2009

Source: http://www.setanta.com

...

The headlines were made off the pitch, however, as the home fans sang offensive songs as well as throwing fireworks and other items as the stadium announcer repeatedly called for calm.

Four people were arrested.

Karlsruhe SC - VFB Stuttgart - 01/03/2009

Source : TSN + express.de

In Karlsruhe, the match began with a 15-minute delay after rowdy home fans stopped the bus with the visiting team from approaching the stadium. Police had to clear the way but beer bottles flew at the bus as it finally entered the stadium. 150 Stuttgart fans were also arrested before the game.




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Source : ESPN

Bundesliga game delayed as fabs lock team bus

The Baden-Wurttemberg derby between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart yesterday was delayed by 15 minutes after the Stuttgart team coach was blocked from entering the stadium by home supporters.

A group of Karlsruhe followers barricaded the entrance to the Wildparkstadion over an hour before kick-off and peppered the Stuttgart team coach with an array of missiles and fireworks when it arrived.

Only by taking a diversion and dropping the players off at another entrance did the Stuttgart coach driver manage to deliver the visiting team to the stadium.

Stuttgart director of sport Horst Heldt said: ''This arrival through KSV fans is unreasonable for visiting teams. The city of Karlsruhe has got to find a solution.''

Numerous arrests were made as the derby was overshadowed by violence outside the ground.

Rival supporters had to be segregated outside the ground, which is not common practice in Germany.

After the match, a large police presence ensured fans were kept apart after Stuttgart's 2-0 win, while visiting fans were reported to have run riot through the city centre with 150 arrests being made.



Vidéo :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWOw8UzmkPk&eurl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDydNl2l3uo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p1S2WeEpSs

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Source: mail (thanks to the sender)

One weekt after the Show of Frankfurt in Karlsruhe, the police have the zero tolerance line. everyone who came by train were checked at the railway station karlsruhe durlach, befor they were allowed to enter the bus. Some crackers, smoke and bengals were burn there. the fans arrived all aorund 3 oclock and some fans arrived the stadium after 5 oclock.

in front of the stadium 2 crackers explodes and 174 persons were arrested after that. there was no fight or anything like that. so there was no organized support in the stadium from stuttgart as a sign of solidarity. after the match a group of 30-40 stuttgart lads attacked some karlsruhe lads at the busses. but the police stopped it really quick. after that there wer some fights between the police in karlsruhe lads.
some photos from the stuttgart ultrà-mob before the match depature in stuttgart are here:

http://www.rohr-on-tour.de/bilder/bl_karlsruhe_vfb_0809/index.html

Scotland : St Johnstone - Dundee - 01/03/2009

Source : Glasgow Daily Record

The main talking points were a massive 3000-plus Dens travelling support that caught the Perth club off guard - and two incidents that reflected badly on these rivals.

A Dundee fan waddled on to the pitch before being arrested and former Saint Eddie Malone had to dodge a missile seconds from the break. To his credit the defender laughed off the incident that saw ref Conroy pluck an object from the turf.

Malone said: "I think it was a coin that hit me but it's no big deal. It didn't hurt me so I wasn't put off.

Maastricht: nazi protest - 01/03/2009

Source: mail (thanks to the sender)

Yesterday the biggest nazi protest ever would be in Maastricht.
Right wing party came protesting against drugspolicy..

We gathered with 15 Sittard lads , 2 genkies and 25 Maastricht lads.
2 busses of the bastards were pulled off the road at the border.

We walked from our pub to the border and saw them on a 200m distance..
ob saw us and were asking for back up..

We attacked them and a good row went off for 5-10 minutes with only 4 polices officers who couldn't control the situation..

The rightwingers had some mad old game lads amongst them who fought back with their helmets and megaphone

From a distance riotpolice waded in and we had leave .. on our way back a helicopter was above us and ob on our heels ..
Everybody of us split up and escaped quitte good except a few who hided in gardenhouses from normal people ..
They were nice what I've heard because they were looking when ob finally left after an hour. Our boys thanked these people kind and came back to us.

The rest of the day was mayhem with a anti rightwing protest from leftwingers who caused ob enough troubles..

UK : Stay away from Spireite game police tell yobs - 04/03/2009

Source : Derbyshire Times

Police are warning football hooligans to keep away from Chesterfield FC's crucial mid-week evening game against Grimsby Town or face arrests and football bans.

Derbyshire Constabulary will be increasing patrols, deploying cameras and working alongside Humberside officers to spot offenders and manage any problems during the potentially volatile home game on Wednesday, March 11.

Officers are concerned about the game because both teams are old rivals and will be vying for a good result with the Blues bidding for promotion and Grimsby fighting to stay in League Two.

UEFA backs referees stopping matches due to racism - 04/03/2009

Source : Reuters

UEFA will back referees who stop matches because of racist behaviour from fans, the European body's director of communications William Gaillard said on Wednesday.

"We are conscious that this kind of phenomenon (racism) does not disappear overnight," Gaillard told a news conference.

"We have clearly emphasised that we will back drastic measures to deal with drastic behaviour. Stopping games is a drastic measure and carries a point penalty for the home team as it is considered a 3-0 loss," Gaillard added.

Gaillard, attending a "Unite against racism" conference in Warsaw, said UEFA had already shut down stadiums and banned teams from tournaments due to fans' bad behaviour.

Earlier this week former England defender Sol Campbell called on the English Premier League to dock points from clubs whose fans were found guilty of indecent and racist chanting.

Portsmouth captain Campbell has been the target of verbal abuse from Tottenham Hotpsur fans since leaving to join arch-rivals Arsenal in 2001. In January 11 supporters were charged with indecent chanting towards him during a league match between Portsmouth and Spurs last year.

Poland, set to co-host the European Championship in 2012, suffered a string of anti-Semitic and racist incidents late last year which triggered a debate about racism among Polish soccer hooligans.

Gaillard said racism issues would not hamper Poland's preparations for the tournament as they were not one of the requirements taken into account.

Spanish football has also had problems with racism.

Former national coach Luis Aragones hit the headlines in 2004 for derogatory comments about French player Thierry Henry although he has always denied they were racist.

Large-scale racist abuse was directed at visiting black players during a subsequent friendly international against England.

In 2006 Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o thereatened to walk off the pitch after being racially insulted by fans during a match against Real Zaragoza.

Racial taunts by AS Roma fans result fine to team - 03/03/2009

Source : The Canadian Press

AS Roma was fined 8,000 euros (C$13,000) Tuesday by the Italian league because its fans used racial taunts in a match against Inter Milan.

The incident occurred on two occasions during the second half of Roma's 3-3 draw at Inter on Sunday. The league did not cite who the taunts were directed at, but a black Inter player, Mario Balotelli, scored twice in the second half.

Also, Roma coach Luciano Spalletti was suspended for one game for insulting the fourth referee after the match.

Clubs with racist fans should be docked points, says Sol Campbell - 02/03/2009

Source : Mirror.co.uk

Sol Campbell last night launched a blistering attack on football's authorities for not taking enough action against homophobic and racist abuse.

And former England defender Campbell, subjected to attacks throughout his career, wants clubs to be docked points if their supporters repeatedly offend.

Campbell says the level of abuse is "shocking and embarrassing" as he angrily called on the Football Association, UEFA and FIFA to start taking action.

Portsmouth captain Campbell said: "I think the only way you can stop that from happening is taking points from clubs and that's it.

"Then they would definitely stop. Especially if you are in the Champions League or a league game.

"If it's just way over the top, and you start taking points, those three points you can lose the championship or you can be going down.

"That's the only way you can actually stop people."

Four men have already pleaded guilty and been fined and banned from grounds for three years for shouting indecent abuse at Campbell following Portsmouth's game with his former club Tottenham last September. A further seven men are awaiting trial in May, having pleaded not guilty.

Campbell believes the abuse was racist and says that offensive chanting still goes on up and down the country on a regular basis and across Europe in the Champions League and in international fixtures.

He added: "Football seems to think it can keep on going without getting checked, but in most other sports on this level, it doesn't happen.

"It's quite shocking really. Because if you carry on like that in the streets, you're either going to get arrested or you're going to start a fight and you might come off worse.

"My situation is a small part. But also you have the racial abuse in the rest of Europe, they've really got to get hold of that soon and stop that from happening."

UK : Hooligan jailed for two years for headbutting police officer - 05/03/2009

Source : Northern Echo

A NOTORIOUS football hooligan who headbutted a police officer in a revenge attack was jailed for two years today.

West Bromwich Albion supporter John Lloyd assaulted Pc Martin Portman in a pub following his team's Premiership clash with Middlesbrough on September 27 last year.

Lloyd, 47, who has previous convictions for hooliganism dating back to the eighties, blamed PC Portman - a spotter with West Midlands Police - for getting him jailed in 2007.

Lloyd had been among seven West Bromwich Albion hooligans who took part in a pre-arranged fight with rival Wolves fans. On that occasion he received an 18-month prison sentence and was banned from attending all football matches for six years.

Today, prosecutor Paul Newcombe told Teesside Crown Court: "The Crown's case is that this was an unprovoked attack on an off-duty police officer."

Mr Newcombe said PC Portman, and a colleague PC Andrew Hollies, were off-duty in the Black Bull pub in Yarm town centre having spent the day observing West Bromwich Albion fans attending the Middlesbrough match.

As Pc Hollies bought a round of drinks at around 9.45pm Lloyd approached, the prosecutor said.

"At the bar the defendant spoke to PC Hollies, called the officer bent and told him that the case was a stitch up and the 18-month prison sentence had ruined his life," he said.

"The Crown say the defendant was very angry.

"PC Hollies returned to the table with the round of drinks and told PC Portman to be careful and that he's "got it in for you"."

A short time later, PC Portman went to the toilet and Lloyd approached the officer in a nearby corridor.

Lloyd argued with the officer about his jail sentence and PC Portman replied: "There's nothing I can do and its done with."

"The defendant's response was to headbutt PC Portman in the face," Mr Newcombe said.

Lloyd than ran from the pub and was later arrested in the West Midlands area.

PC Portman, who was in court today, suffered a fractured nose, two chipped teeth and also underwent treatment for neck and back pain.

Lloyd, of Brunswick Park Road, Wednesbury, West Midlands, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a Section 20 charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The hearing was told that although Lloyd was on Teesside he had not breached the terms of the football banning order by being in Yarm town centre.

Czech Republic : New security law burdens football clubs - 05/03/2009

Source : Prague Post

Interior Ministry regulation removes police from stadiums

By provoking myriad altercations with police and security staff, unruly spectators at FC Baník Ostrava's Feb. 22 season opening match at Brno quickly exposed the practical shortcomings of a new Interior Ministry-drafted law reforming security regulations at soccer stadiums.

Unrests began minutes before kickoff, when a group of belligerent Baník fans - apparently emboldened by lax security - ripped through a partition that separated the hooligans sector from the rest of the stadium and spilled onto the pitch.

Despite security staff attempts to placate the crowd, visiting fans successfully disrupted the remainder of the game by wreaking alcohol-induced havoc. Snowballs, flares, toilet parts and urinals flew onto the pitch, and bloody skirmishes ensued. The situation did not calm until the arrival of riot police, who made five on-the-spot arrests.

"We did everything we could to secure the situation," FC Brno Sports Director Radek Bělák told journalists after the incident. "Unfortunately, there were about 200 fans who did not come here for soccer, who wanted to test the new law, and were determined to provoke disturbances at all cost."

The riotous atmosphere that accompanied the opening weekend of the spring soccer season has ensnared the sports industry in a snowballing political debate over new safety regulations at stadiums.

In a declared effort to streamline police and security staff roles at sporting events, the Interior Ministry has drafted a new law limiting police presence at stadiums. Effective as of Jan. 1, the law holds event organizers primarily responsible for security maintenance inside sporting venues.

While police will still patrol public areas outside stadiums, they will only intervene inside the venue if private security staff fail to control the situation on their own. In such cases, event organizers are obligated to reimburse police for their services unless they demonstrate that they took all the required precautions to prevent the disturbance.

FC Brno, which was responsible for enforcing security at the Feb. 22 match, now faces a police-incurred bill of approximately 80,000 Kč ($3,600) for failing to install effective riot control measures. "It's apparent that some soccer clubs reacted responsibly to the new rules and some didn't," Interior Minister Ivan Langer said in a Feb. 23 statement, alluding to a separate tumultuous Feb. 22 FC Sparta match at Olomouc, where security staff managed to crack down on misbehaving fans without police aid. "Brno [organizers] had half a year to prepare - now it's time to address the inadequacies," Langer added.

FC Brno spokesman Pavel Veselý disagreed. "We did what we could," he said. "Police were on the scene in two minutes and took control of the situation."

The main problem, he added, was that the new legislation was not yet functioning properly.

While other club representatives say they feel more prepared to cope with the new security burden, most complain of a lack of clear political directive. In an attempt to capitalize on public criticism of the government-drafted law, opposition leader Jiří Paroubek of the Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) has proposed a new legislation that would essentially reinstate police presence at football stadiums. Deputies are slated to discuss Paroubek's proposal at an extraordinary lower house session March. 3.

"It's not a problem for us to respect the new rules," said Sparta spokesman Ondřej Kasík. "The situation only gets problematic when it becomes the subject of a political debate, because it makes us unclear on what we should prepare for and abide by."

Representatives of Baník Ostrava, which, like Sparta, has a notorious hardcore fan base, complained security staff lacked the legal competence to effectively manage brawling spectators. "It's necessary to implement a certification system for security agencies and then raise their legal competence," said club spokesman Igor Bruzl. "Today, a security officer may use force to detain the perpetrator and hand him over to police, but, if the perpetrator becomes injured, he [the security officer] often faces lawsuits."

Industry officials also say the new law disadvantages smaller clubs, which often lack the means to finance their own security measures. "Another problem is that many Czech stadiums are owned by the towns," Bruzl said. "In these areas, police presence should be automatic."

Through the new law, the Interior Ministry aims to bring the Czech model closer to the mechanisms used in the United Kingdom, where continously tightening hooliganism laws and strict regulations imposed by the governing soccer body are used to increase security and speed up legal proceedings against misbehaving fans.

"The English laws are very diligently formatted," Kasík said. "If a fan runs onto the pitch on Friday, he knows by Tuesday that he won't be able to visit the stadium for another two years."

Pledging to mold Czech soccer to this model, Interior Minister Langer has warned against the ČSSD's plan to surrender to initial difficulties by reverting to the old rules. He added that the speedy legal proceedings against the five fans arrested during the Feb. 22 riots - all of whom were handed sentences by Feb. 27 - illustrate the new law's effectiveness. "We would be significantly better off if football clubs realized their responsibility," he said.

Indeed, the second weekend of the spring soccer season was visibly calmer than the first. At a 0-0 match between Sparta and České Budějovice Feb. 28, the stadium was half-empty, and the ultras section was loud but not violent.

Still, old-time hooligan and security company owner Radek Prokš criticized the new security measures. "If there were any real violence, the security guards wouldn't be able to cope," he said.

He added that the stadium owners were looking to cut costs rather than ensure adequate onsite security. "I have a big security agency with excellently trained staff, but they cannot afford my people, so they'd rather wait for the guys from the cheaper agency to get their asses kicked, and then they call the police, instead of hiring a better security company in the first place."

When asked if the British model would work in the Czech Republic, Prokš replied: "It would never work here. The system in the Czech Republic is just bad."

Basket : Partizan Belgrade - PAO Athens - 05/03/2009

Source : B92

Two persons were injured in a shooting near the Belgrade Arena on Thursday and taken to the emergency room.

The incidents happened after a Euroleague basketball game at the venue between Partizan Belgrade and PAO Athens.

Another person was seriously injured in a fistfight on a city bus.

Serbian Clinical Center Spokesman Drago Jovanović told B92 that a man and a women were injured in the shooting incident. The man was shot from close range and was hit in the neck, while the woman was shot in the back.

Jovanović said that the women was operated on and that she is currently stable, while the man did not need any surgical interventions.

In another incident on Thursday night, several persons were injured, one seriously, in a fight between hooligans in the 17 bus, City Transportation (GSP) workers and hospital staff confirmed for the Beta news agency.

Officials said that none of the regular passengers were injured in the right between rival hooligans on the bus route from Konjarnik to Zemun neighborhoods of Belgrade.

One person was seriously injured and taken to the emergency room, medical staff told Beta, adding that the people that were less seriously injured were treated at the local Zemun hospital.

Argentina : Godoy Cruz - San Martin - 05/03/2009

Source : ESPN

Violence reared its ugly head in Argentinian football again yesterday as the Clausura match between Godoy Cruz and San Martin was abandoned following trouble in the stands.

The match was tied 1-1 at half-time when a battle developed between Godoy Cruz hooligans and the police that involved the firing of rubber bullets and tear gas.

The second half kicked off as scheduled but play was abandoned when the police informed referee Diego Abal that they could not guarantee the security of players and officials in the stadium.

"This is very sad and people must understand that this kind of event can affect our fight to avoid relegation," said Godoy Cruz coach Diego Cocca, fearing a possible points deduction.

The violence ruined what had been an attractive game.

Both teams now await the Argentinian FA's decision on the result of the game.




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Source : Reuters

Crowd riot halts Argentine match

Rioting fans forced an Argentine first division match between provincial teams Godoy Cruz and San Martin-Tucuman to be abandoned in the second half.

Referee Diego Abal called Thursday's match off in the 63rd minute after police fired rubber bullets at the supporters in Mendoza, the first time a first division match has been suspended because of violence in the 2008/09 season.

"The head of the police force said he could not guarantee safety as there was a very bad confrontation outside," Abal told reporters in an interview broadcast on television. "The game had to be suspended."

The score was 1-1 at the time.

Argentine media said the trouble stemmed from a previous meeting between the two sides in Tucuman when visiting Godoy Cruz fans were attacked.

They said Thursday's trouble began when Godoy Cruz fans attempted to invade the area designated for the San Martin supporters in an attempt to extract revenge.

Argentine football suffers from chronic violence often blamed on organised supporters' groups called barras bravas.

Many groups are split into factions who sometimes fight amongst themselves and often side with club directors in internal political disputes.





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Source : diariouno.com.ar

St.Pauli - Hansa Rostock - 06/03/2009

Source : usa today + augsburger-allgemeine.de + berlinonline.de

Rival fans clash in Hamburg

Riot police used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse rival fans of two second-division clubs who fought each other and police after a match.

Five police officers, two fans and a passer-by were taken to a hospital to be treated for various injuries on Friday, according to ambulance officials.

Police said five people were arrested after massive clashes between the fans of St. Pauli and Hansa Rostock. Both groups also clashed with police, using stones and beer bottles to battle officers.

The fans of cult club St. Pauli are mostly left wing, while Hansa Rostock supporters are known as being right wing.






Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nlCCDuNabI&eurl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzzS-3Cq3C4





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Source : welt.de














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Source : abendblatt.de

1860 Munich - St.Pauli - 01/03/2009

Source : Sport-News.de

23 Chemnitz hooligans, well knowed for causing troubles, were arrested in Munich train station, after riots.

Later, a coach full with high-risks supporters, from Hamburg, were controlled by police forces.
Inside this coach, 53 St Pauli supporters had weapons and DVD's of violence.
Two of them were arrested.

Inside the stadium, things were calm but after, police baton-charged 60 Cosa Nostra (1860) members and 50 St Pauli ultras who tried to confront themselves.

Translation Underground Fans

Young Boys Bern - Grasshopper Zürich - Cup - 04/03/2009

Source: SDA-ATS

Riots opposed supporters and policemen after the game

Riots erupted Wednesday night after this Switzerland cup game, opposing Young Boys to GC.

Zurich supporters have attacked policemen at the Wankdorf (Bern) train station, after the defeat of their team.

Police forces used flash-balls, water canon and pepper sprays to disperse supporters.
Damages were caused to vehicles and the train, said police.

Supporters from both teams also fronted themselves.
A man was injured.

Translation Underground Fans

Colombia : 600 angry fans at training session - 05/03/2009

Source : zisch.ch

600 angry Millonarios supporters, 16th of the colombian championship, went to a training session of their loved-ones.
Police forces restored order when a group of 50 hooligans tried to attack players.

Translation Underground Fans

Germany: TuS Koblenz - VfL Osnabrück - 06/03/2009

Source : muensterschezeitung.de

Riots occured at the central train station, opposing VfL supporters, who came back from a game in Koblenz, to 20 Preussen Munster supporters.
It seems these men were waited for the train, because their team didn't play this Friday night.
Police restored order using batons and pepper sprays.
Three Munster fans were arrested.

Translation Underground Fans

Man arrested over fight which left Cardiff fan injured is released - 07/03/2009

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

A MAN arrested by police over a street fight which left a soldier fighting for his life in Southampton has been released on bail.

Detectives quizzed the 20-year-old local man in connection with the incident that left Chris Jones with a fractured skull and bruising to his body.

He was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and has been released until May 14 as the investigation continues.

Mr Jones, 21, is being treated at Southampton General Hospital’s Wessex neuro unit, which specialises in severe head injuries.

The Cardiff City fan was injured when trouble broke out in Anderson’s Road at about 3.30pm last Saturday, while Saints were playing Cardiff at St Mary’s.

Police are still keen to speak to witnesses.

A police spokeswoman said: “We have spoken to a lot of people about the incident which happened last Saturday, but there could always be someone who has yet to come forward and may hold some vital information.”

Birmingham City - Bristol City - 03/03/2009

Source: mail (thanks to the sender)

Good toe to toe before game by George pub with 20 Birmingham and 20 Bristol.
Bottles and glasses thrown.
Another win for Birminghams lads.

English bans on fans set to cover Scottish grounds - 05/03/2009

Source: The Scotsman

MSPs last night backed moves to close a loophole allowing football fans banned from grounds in England to attend matches in Scotland.
Pressure for action intensified after rioting involving Rangers fans at last season's UEFA Cup final between the Glasgow club and Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester.

Banning orders issued in Scotland are enforceable in England and Wales, but the reverse is not the case.

This prompted fears that fans who received banning orders as a result of court action south of the Border could still attend future matches in Scotland.

However, measures are to be included in the Police and Crime Reduction Bill, which is currently going through the Commons. It comes after close work to address the problem between Scottish Government officials and their counterparts in the Home Office and Scotland Office.

And MSPs at Holyrood last night agreed to allow Westminster to legislate in areas the bill covers where Scottish ministers have power.

Kenny MacAskill, the justice secretary, wrote to Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, pressing for urgent action after the trouble involving the Rangers fans.

"We need to send a strong message to the thugs and hooligans that it won't be tolerated. Their behaviour is unacceptable in our towns and cities," Mr MacAskill said at the time.

Real Madrid - Atletico Madrid - 07/03/2009

Source : Marca

Frente Atletico mob

Serbia: FC Spartak Subotica - FC Vozdovac Belgrade - 07/03/2009

Source: mail (thanks to the sender) + http://www.subotica.info

Small brawl before the game, fair play by FC Spartak Blue Marines, pitch invasion by 4 FC Vozdovac Invalidi.

VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPYAz4zYGnA

Germany: Hallescher FC - 1.FC Magdeburg - 08/03/2009

Source: forum + TV

Second half was delayed due to the fact Magdeburg supporters used firecrackers.

At 75th minute of playing, the game was stopped for 8 minutes by referee because FCM fans used firecrackers for second time.
A local was injured and police restored order.






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Source : mz-web.de

FCM mob

Paok - Olympiakos - 08/03/2009

Source : The Canadian Press

Three riot policemen injured in clash with Greek football fans

Three riot policemen were injured during an hour-long attack by PAOK fans who threw rocks, bottles and firebombs before Sunday's game with Olympiakos Piraeus in the Greek First Division football league.

Fans, most of them without tickets, had gathered outside PAOK's stadium to ambush Olympiakos's team bus on arrival.

A heavy police presence prevented them from doing so, prompting fans to attack officers. A police vehicle was set on fire and three officers were slightly injured, according to police, who used copious amounts of tear gas to disperse the fans. No fans were reported injured.

PAOK fans also attacked and smashed referee Anastassios Kakos's car.

Tear gas was also used inside the stadium when PAOK fans threw several projectiles at Olympiakos players who came onto the field to warm up. Some fans left their seats and came onto the field to get away from the tear gas in the stands.

Olympiakos players were eventually able to return to the field as the capacity 28,700 crowd finally settled down. About 1,000 riot police were inside the stadium, with hundreds more patrolling outside.

The game's start was slightly delayed.

Police concern about violent incidents, which often occur at Greek soccer matches, was heightened after the two teams played in a Greek Cup match last Wednesday.

The game was marred by controversial refereeing decisions that, PAOK claimed, robbed it of its chances to advance to the semifinals. Olympiakos won that game 2-0 in extra time, advancing 2-1 on aggregate.

The potential for violence has led to three prosecutors attending the game to report on any incidents.



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Source : Associated Press Sports

Football fans battle police before, after match

Seven riot policemen and five PAOK fans were injured during clashes before and after Sunday's game with Olympiakos in the Greek league.

PAOK fans resumed clashes with riot police outside the stadium following the scoreless game, pelting them with rocks and bottles, erecting barricades and burning trash cans. Several arrests were made, police said.

Before the game, three riot police had been injured during an hour-long attack by PAOK fans who threw rocks, bottles and firebombs.



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Source: The Canadian Press

Olympiakos draws 0-0 with PAOK amid violence between fans and police

Greek league leader Olympiakos played out a goalless draw at PAOK Thessaloniki on Sunday in a match that was overshadowed by violent clashes between fans and police.

Seven riot policemen and five PAOK fans were injured in clashes which flared outside the stadium both before and after the game. Supporters threw rocks, bottles and firebombs at police who responded with tear gas.

PAOK fans had been angered by what they claimed was bad refereeing in a Greek Cup game between the two sides last Wednesday. Olympiakos won that match 2-0 after extra time, advancing to the semifinals 2-1 on aggregate.

Sunday's draw, which Olympiakos secured with only 10 men for the final half hour, left the team on 59 points from 25 games, nine ahead of both Panathinaikos, which beat Larissa 3-0 on Saturday, and PAOK. Panathinaikos is second on goal difference.

Olympiakos pushed forward from kickoff and nearly took an early lead, with PAOK keeper Costas Halkias diving to stop a blistering shot from the edge of the area by Giannis Papadopoulos in the fourth minute.

PAOK missed a similar chance in the 20th when a powerful shot from Ibrahima Bakayoko forced Antonis Nikopolidis to palm the ball away.

Olympiakos was down to 10 men in the 60th after a second yellow card for midfielder Costas Mendrinos. Despite the setback, the visitors came close to opening the score in the 78th when a shot by Papadopoulos hit Halkias's crossbar.

PAOK missed a great opportunity in the 82nd minute when substitute Lambros Houtos's angled shot went wide with teammate Zlatan Muslimovic alone before an open goal.

PAOK also finished the match a man down, with defender Joe Bizera being shown a red card in stoppage time.



VIDEOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTVR2b2Jo64

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBJ0nkIutRA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4quiaMlXcA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6wguZRmyTY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDoOz3iIZWM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dw5let6EEQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTVR2b2Jo64 (incidents)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9GRCpxnc98

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uIu-j5bZXA (incidents)

Paris train kills two football fans - 07/03/2009

Source: The Vancouver Sun

A commuter train slammed into a group of football fans who were walking on railway tracks in a Paris suburb, killing two youths and injuring 11 people, police said Sunday.

The Lille fans had taken a shortcut on the unlit tracks to reach a bus taking them home after a match at the Stade de France stadium late Saturday, a railway official said.

Two boys aged 10 and 17 were killed. A 40-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, believed to be relatives of the victims, were seriously injured, local government officials said.

Another person was in serious condition and eight others suffered minor injuries.

Police had earlier said the two dead boys were brothers.

The group went into an off-limits zone protected by barriers and gates to try to reach the bus, said Jean-Pierre Farandou, a SNCF director.

The accident occurred at Aubervilliers, north of Paris, near the main rail station for the Stade de France where Lille team beat French champions Lyon.

The train was not carrying passengers when it hit the group at a speed of about 60 kilometres (40 miles) per hour, officials said.

Emergency teams from 12 rescue centres went to the scene to treat the injured and also search a nearby canal where they feared victims may have been thrown in the collision.

No bodies were found however and the search was called off on Sunday.

The accident caused major disruption on the commuter line and thousands returning from the match had to take special buses or walk to the nearest underground metro.

Transport secretary Dominique Bussereau ordered an investigation into the accident and to consider the risks linked to large gatherings at the stadium.

Lille football club president Michel Seydoux expressed condolences. "My thoughts are with the families, with the injured. As a father and grandfather, I know what you must be going through," he said.

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Source : LE PARISIEN