Season 08/09 - March

RSC Charleroi - Standard Liège - 22/03/2009

Source: http://www.rtl.be (thanks to the sender)

A total of 53 people were arrested this high-risks derby.

VIDEO:

http://video.rtlinfo.be/category/309.aspx?VideoID=3094

Lokomotiv Sofia - Botev Plovdiv - 23/03/2009

Source: https://www.youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CsHUUjHRFA

Colombia : Atlético Nacional - Independiente Medellín - 22/03/2009

Source : Reuters

The Medellin derby was marred by more crowd trouble when rival factions of the Atletico Nacional support fought amongst themselves at the Atanasio Girardot stadium during the first half.

Riot police stepped in and eventually stopped the fighting without the game having to be halted.

Wayne Cowburn: Leeds United fan threw coin at police - 23/03/2009

Source : Middleton Today

A Leeds United fan from Hunslet who threw a coin at police when trouble flared after a home fixture with Millwall has been spared immediate jail.
The West Yorkshire Police helicopter also spotted Wayne Cowburn apparently hurling a traffic cone at police horses after the match in October 2007.

Prosecutor, Joseph Spencer said Cowburn, 42, of Leasowe Avenue, Hunslet, was caught on camera in a crowd of Leeds fans in Wesley Street after the game.

He was later spotted throwing a coin at police.

Mr Spencer said the crowd was forced back by police on horseback towards the footbridge on Little Town Lane where Cowburn was seen throwing an item, believed to be a traffic cone at mounted police. Cowburn was arrested in May 2008.

Adrian Pollard, for Cowburn who later admitted affray, said he now had a partner and a new baby.

After hearing Cowburn's partner and mother of his child had health problems, Judge Peter Collie sentenced Cowburn to nine months in prison suspended for two years with 12 months' supervision.

Cowburn must also go on an enhanced thinking skills programme and was banned from football grounds for five years.

Poland: fair fight Lechia Gdansk vs Ruch Chorzow - 14/03/2009

Source: Polscy Kibice

30 vs 30. Local victory after 3 minutes.

Italy : Treviso thugs attack directors - 21/03/2009

Source : News

Serie B strugglers Treviso are again in the news for the wrong reasons following an attack on club officials by a group of hooligans who broke into the headquarters during a meeting on Saturday afternoon.

Bottom-placed Treviso are in deep trouble after coach Abel Balbo resigned just two weeks after signing a contract, saying the club were nowhere near professional status.

A group of around 20 fans stormed the Treviso offices on Saturday. Reports said three club officials were slightly injured. At the time, club president Ettore Setten was holding a meeting.

SC Napoli - AC Milan - 22/03/2009

Source : fanatik.r8.org (thanks to the sender)

Brasil : Corinthians - Santos - 22/03/2009

Source : Foot01 + Reuters

Police clashed with Santos fans to break up a fight with Corinthians fans.

Romania - Serbia - 28/03/2009

Source : Mail (thanks to the sender)

Serbian Hooligans









Video : http://www.gsptv.ro/viewVideo1.php?video_id=15665

Germany: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen - VfL Osnabrück - 20/03/2009

Source : westfaelische-nachrichten.de

After the game, some of the 600 Osnabruck supporters provoked troubles at the train station, attacking police.

Translation Underground Fans

Arminia Bielefeld - VfL Wolfsburg - 21/03/2009

Source : apa + nw-news.de

After the game, troubles occured at the Bielefeld trian station, opposing Wolfsburg supporters to police forces. A young fan, aged 16, was injured as he was whacked with a truncheon. He was transfered at hospital.
Firstly police said the young guy wasn't whacked, but a bypasser, aged 52, gave another version, saying a cop seriously fought him.











Translation Underground Fans

SC Freiburg - 1. FC Nürnberg - 23/03/2009

Source : badische-zeitung.de + nn-online.de

Nurnberg supporters provoked troubles during the game.
About 60 seats were ripped off.
20 supporters were arrested when they tried to attack Friburg fans.

Translation Underground Fans

Germany: KSV Hessen Kassel - SV Darmstadt 98 - 26/03/2009

Source : hr-online.de

After the game, a coach full of Darmstadt supporters was attacked by a dozen of local supporters who threw missiles at them.
Darmstadt fans went out of the coach to fronted their rivals but police forces arrived on the place.
Then, other troubles occured in the city, also with Stuttgart and Homburg fans.
A total of 31 people were arrested.

Translation Underground Fans

FC Nantes - FC Lorient - Friendly game - 27/03/2009

Source : L'Equipe

Nantes supporters caused trouble during this friendly game played in La Roche-sur-Yon.
They sung against their own players.
Police made an intervention at the end of the game.

Belgium - Bosnia - 28/03/2009

Source: mail

About 30/35 locals. Several fights occured with Bosnians, each time at local advantage.

VIDEOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsEMeKvVR0I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWVTOwOKLyM

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http://www.rtlinfo.be

After Belgium equalised, the game was stopped for 5 minutes due to the large amount of firecrackers threw in the pitch by Bosnia supporters.

Northern Ireland - Poland - 28/03/2009

Source: Belfast Telegraph (thanks to the sender)

Fans clash in Northern Ireland ahead of Poland game

VIDEOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tgmKLc4zzg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMLSEkFcq_4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv2QBCZjJKA

Football fans have clashed in Belfast city centre ahead of tonight's international match between Northern Ireland and Poland.

At least one person was injured when trouble broke out in a pub on Bedford Street around 2.30pm. Windows were smashed in the pubr.

Later there was trouble on the Dublin Road, but the worst of the violence flared at Tates Avenue close to the ground. Riot police were called in when rival fans attacked each other with fireworks, bottles and traffic cones.

At least nine people were arrested.

Scuffles have also been reported on the Lisburn Road as rival supporters gathered for the game at nearby Windsor Park.

BBC reported that Northern Ireland fans then turned their attention to police after being separated from Polish supporters.

At one stage riot police had to be called in to keep factions apart near Windsor Park before the start of the game.

The match was held up during the first half when a linemen was hit by missile thrown from from a crowd of Northern Ireland supporters in the North Stand just after Poland levelled the game at one one-all.

With thousands of Poles living and working in Northern Ireland, a sizeable contingent of Polish fans have descended on the city to watch their country in World Cup qualifying action.

A significant police presence has been deployed to deal with potential flashpoints.

The match finished Northern Ireland 3, Poland 2.









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Source : RTE

Clashes ahead of NI international

Nine people were arrested and a number of people injured in clashes before the international match in Belfast between Northern Ireland and Poland.

At least one person was injured when trouble broke out in a pub on Bedford Street around 2.30pm.

Scuffles also took place on the Lisburn Road as rival supporters gathered for the game at nearby Windsor Park.

As both sets of fans made their way to the ground, there were a number of incidents in the Tates Avenue area and police moved in to separate the groups.

Fireworks, bricks and bottles were among the missiles thrown as police in riot gear attempted to bring the situation under control.

Northern Ireland fans blamed the trouble on a group of hooligans who travelled from Poland and many of them did not have.






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11 hurt in Belfast match clashes

11 police officers were injured and nine people were arrested in Belfast during disturbances before and after last night's match between Northern Ireland and Poland.

Missiles, including fireworks, were thrown at police by a gang of local fans as they left the football ground.

A linesman was injured by a missile during the match and play had to be suspended for five minutes.

Five of the nine people arrested have been released without charge. Four others are assisting police with their inquiries.

Trouble initially broke out ahead of the game when a group of Polish fans were involved in an incident at a city centre pub.

Riot police attempted to stem the disorder as rival sets of fans engaged in street fighting.

Following a win for Northern Ireland, a small number of home fans were involved in trouble when fireworks and other objects were thrown at police.

The PSNI also said a number of homes were attacked during trouble in the Village area and these are being treated as racially motivated.

A PSNI Commander said a hard core of Polish nationals had travelled to Belfast without match tickets and with a very clear intent to cause trouble. He appealed for calm.

None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

Germany: FSV Zwickau - 1.FC Lok Leipzig - 28/03/2009

Source : TV

The game was stopped for several minutes, after 47 minutes of playing, due to the large amount of firecrackers threw in the pitch by Leipzig supporters.








VIDEOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF_voN9RKsQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbzuEHQptUg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE_qOtCyNUE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS_e7wP5V3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUN7f6xe22k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z78nCmNpz-M

Brazil : Fluminense - Botafogo - 28/03/2008

Source : The Associated Press

3 fans shot as supporters clash outside Maracana

Three fans have suffered gunshot wounds as rival supporters clashed outside Maracana stadium before a Rio de Janeiro state championship match.

Two other people reportedly suffered minor injuries Saturday night in the confrontation between Fluminense and Botafogo fans.

The GloboEsporte Web site said a 42-year-old Fluminense fan remained hospitalized, but details of his condition were not immediately available.

Authorities were investigating what happened, but local media said about 20 people took part in the brawl and it appeared that more than one fan was carrying a gun.

The game went ahead as scheduled with increased police security.

Police study CCTV to identify football hooligans in Belfast clash - 29/03/2009

Source : RTE + AP

Police are studying CCTV footage in a bid to identify the football hooligans involved in disturbances in Belfast that left eleven officers injured.

Nine people were arrested in the disturbances that marred the build-up and aftermath of Northern Ireland's crucial 3-2 victory over Poland at Windsor Park. Five have since been released without charge.

Rival fans fought with each other and clashed with riot police in sporadic confrontations across Belfast throughout yesterday.

A city centre bar was badly damaged when chairs were thrown through the window and the Tates Avenue area close to the ground was sealed off as police came under attack from fireworks, traffic cones, bricks, bottles and other missiles.

A number of homes were also targeted in what police described as racially motivated incidents.

While Northern Ireland has a sizeable resident Polish population, police believe the troublemakers on the Poland side were a "hard core" element who did not live in the country and travelled for the game without tickets.

Local police commander superintendent Chris Noble said he was concerned about reprisal attacks against the local Polish community.

"We believe there was a hard core of Polish nationals who came to the game without tickets but with a very clear intent to cause trouble and disruption to genuine supporters and local residents," he said.

"We believe these troublemakers are not local; they have travelled to Northern Ireland with the express purpose of causing trouble. "Unfortunately their actions may well have put the safety of law abiding and local Polish residents in jeopardy.

Four charged after football clashes - 29/03/2009

Source : The Press Association

Four men have been charged in connection with violent clashes between football fans in Belfast that left eleven police officers injured.

The four, aged 30, 28, 26 and 22, were among nine people arrested during disturbances that marred the build-up and aftermath of Northern Ireland's crucial 3-2 victory over Poland at Windsor Park.

They are all charged with disorderly behaviour linked to trouble at a city centre pub on Bedford Street before the game and the 26-year-old is also charged with possession of a firework without a licence.

Police said the majority of the nine arrested were Polish. The other five were released without charge.

Rival fans fought with each other and clashed with riot police in sporadic confrontations across Belfast throughout the day. The Bedford Street bar was badly damaged when chairs were thrown through the window and the Tates Avenue area close to the ground was sealed off as police came under attack from fireworks, traffic cones, bricks, bottles and other missiles.

Local police commander superintendent Chris Noble said: "We believe there was a hard core of Polish nationals who came to the game without tickets but with a very clear intent to cause trouble and disruption to genuine supporters and local residents.

"We believe these troublemakers are not local; they have travelled to Northern Ireland with the express purpose of causing trouble. Unfortunately their actions may well have put the safety of law abiding and local Polish residents in jeopardy."

There was also trouble inside Windsor Park, with the match held up during the first half when an assistant referee was hit by a missile thrown from a crowd of Northern Ireland supporters in the North Stand just after Poland scored.

Polish fans were also involved in disturbances in the closing stages of the match.

Supt Noble said officers would now be analysing CCTV footage in an effort to catch those involved in the trouble across the city.

Ivory Coast - Malawi - 29/03/2009

Source : Daily Mail

At least 22 killed in stampede at Ivory Coast stadium

At least 22 people have been killed and more than 132 injured after a stampede during a World Cup qualifying soccer match in the Ivory Coast.

Supporters had packed the stands to watch Chelsea football star Didier Drogba play for Ivory Coast.

Fans began pushing and shoving 40 minutes before the match, which still went ahead despite the stampede.

Police are then said to have fired tear gas into the crowd and part of a wall at the 45,000 capacity stadium collapsed as fans begin to panic.

Stampedes are common at Africa's crowded stadiums, especially at events that touch national pride, such as the World Cup qualifying matches.

Badly-equipped security forces are far outnumbered and are often unable to control the voluminous crowds.

Ollo Kambire, a reporter for Super Sport newspaper, said that a wall collapsed under the weight of the fans as they pushed toward the field. "We saw people falling. ... Then there was panic and a stampede," he said.

iots and crushes are common at African soccer stadiums, which are frequently overcrowded.

Last September, 11 people were killed in a stadium riot in Democratic Republic of Congo and in June eight people died in a crush in Liberia.

South Africa is spending several billion rand on building new venues and infrastructure for the soccer World Cup which it is due to host in 2010.

Group 'intent on match trouble' - 30/03/2009

Source : BBC News

A police officer has said he believes a group of Polish fans travelled to Saturday's World Cup qualifier in Belfast intent on causing trouble.

Superintendent Chris Noble said a group of about 150 travelled from outside NI not to watch the match but to "provoke police and the local community".

Four men - all Polish nationals - have been charged with disorderly behaviour and are to appear in court on Monday.

Superintendent Noble was in charge of Saturday's policing operation.

"We have very strong information to suggest that there has been a group of troublemakers who travelled from outside Northern Ireland to cause trouble at the ground," Supt Noble said.

Meanwhile, a south Belfast councillor has criticised the kickoff time for the game.

Ulster Unionist Bob Stoker said it should have kicked off before 1715 GMT given the potential for trouble.

"The game should not have been played at a quarter past five on Saturday knowing the potential for trouble and the amount of alcohol that would be taken," Mr Stoker said.

"There was about 300 of them who arrived here without tickets, without accommodation, nothing and they were here just intent on causing trouble, people were aware of that.

"The police gave us assurances that steps would be taken to ensure these people wouldn't be allowed near us without tickets - that failed."

Supt Noble said those intent on causing trouble would have done so regardless of when the game kicked off.

"We've had matches kicked off at this time and indeed later that haven't had particular difficulties," he said.

"So simply focussing on something like the time of kickoff or even access to alcohol, while they're important, they're not the actual causal factors in this."

Bar clash

Before the game, nine people had been arrested, the majority Polish, after trouble at a bar in Bedford Street on Saturday. Five were later released.

Eleven police officers were injured in trouble surrounding the game.

Up to 60 Northern Ireland fans clashed with police at a roundabout at the bottom of Tates Avenue, outside Windsor Park football ground after the game.

Police blamed some Polish fans for earlier disturbances.

They said later attacks on homes occupied by foreign nationals were being treated as "racially motivated".

Polish fans admit Belfast football violence - 30/03/2009

Source : AFP

Four Polish fans pleaded guilty on Monday to disorderly conduct in the build-up to Saturday's international football match against Northern Ireland here at Windsor Park.

Tomasz Bobrowicz, 30, from Suffolk, Przemyslaw Pawel Kusmierczyk, 28, from Liverpool, Lukasz Szwajda, 22, from London, and Tomasz Jakobik, 26, from University Avenue in Belfast, appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court.

They were arrested on Saturday after trouble at a city centre bar.

Jakobik, who has lived in Northern Ireland for two years, also pleaded guilty to possessing a firework without a licence. He will appear in court again next month.

The three other defendants were given two-month sentences, suspended for one year.

A police officer, who said he could connect all four defendants with the incidents, told the court the men had been on the periphery of the violent scenes in and around Wetherspoons bar in Bedford Street.

The incident was one of several that took place before, during and after Northern Ireland's 3-2 victory over Poland in a qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup.

Earlier Monday, a FIFA statement said it was examining reports from match officials after a Swedish linesman was struck on the head by a coin during the game.

"FIFA has received a report from the match referee as well as the match commissioner," said the statement.

"Following a review of those two respective reports, FIFA will then decide on whether any disciplinary procedures will be opened."

The unrest came at a difficult time in Northern Ireland, with authorities trying to keep a lid on civil disturbances following the murders of a police officer and two British soldiers earlier this month. Observers fear the attacks may drag the province back into sectarian strife.

Police have also voiced concerns about the prospect of reprisal attacks against Northern Ireland's resident Polish community.

Since the Good Friday peace accords of 1998, Northern Ireland has attracted east European migrants. Thousands of Poles live and work in the province, forming a significant minority.

Poland : GRANICA KĘTRZYN - MAZUR EŁK - 29/03/2009

Source : Mail

150 hooligans from ELK clash with police. Six of them were arrested.

Polish fans avoid prison following street clashes - 31/03/2009

Source : Belfast Telegraph

Three Polish football fans arrested in connection with the violent disturbances which took place in the city centre at the weekend have each been given a two-month suspended sentence.

Tomasz Bobrowicz (30) from Suffolk, Przemyslaw Pawel Kusmierczyk (28 ) from Liverpool and Lukasz Szwajda (22), a chef who has been living in London for the past two years, all appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court yesterday charged with disorderly behaviour.

A fourth man, Tomasz Jakobik (26) from University Avenue, Belfast who appeared on the same charge also admitted to possessing a firework without a licence. He will appear in court again on April 27.

All four men were arrested on Saturday following violent clashes between rival football fans at the Wetherspoon’s Bar on Bedford Street.

Dozens of Polish football supporters and Northern Ireland fans clashed inside the bar hours before the kick-off at Windsor Park.

Tables were damaged and chairs were thrown through the windows of the bar before the hordes of fans spilled on to the street.

Riot police had to be called in and the area was sealed off as officers tried to deal with the drunken mobs.

A police officer, who said he could connect all four defendants with the incident, told the court the men had been on the “periphery” of the clashes and were not part of any group which had orchestrated the violence.

A solicitor representing Mr Brobrowicz explained his client only became angry outside the bar after he was struck in the head. He needed 13 stitches to his head.

On handing down the sentences to the three men, District Judge Fiona Bagnall said she had taken into account the trio had been on the periphery of the violence and gave them all a two-month sentence, suspended for a year.

Eleven police officers were injured during the trouble which brought part of the city centre to a standstill for hours.

However, the disturbance at Bedford Street was only one of a number of confrontations to take place across the city before and after Northern Ireland’s 3-2 win over Poland.

Tates Avenue had to sealed off for several hours after riot police came under fire from bricks, fireworks, traffic cones, bottles and other missiles.

A number of homes in east and south Belfast were also targeted in what police have described as racially motivated attacks.