Go! Act like complete simpletons
May 15th, 2008 by LibYou may or may not have heard about the UEFA cup final in Manchester, UK last night (although to be fair there has been bigger news, see Gareth in Chinas post below)
But I’m angry and want other people to be angry about this too.
Imagine the place that you call home, the place that you live in, work in and gradually over time the place that you, well, quite love.
This first photo was taken a few hundred feet from my office yesterday morning when 175,000 rangers fans descended on Manchester city centre. A city centre that put up big screens everywhere so that these visiting fans could see their beloved team lose a match, and provided open air bars to quench their thirst for buckfast.
This second photo was taken during the rioting where they’d hurled missiles at the police (hurting 15 of them and 1 police dog), smashed a couple of shops up (and 1 bar), stabbed a Russian fan and generally desecrated Manchester.
This third photo was what I woke up to this morning, along with the rest of Manchester.
What.a.bunch.of.tossers.
I think my colleague said it all today really in the Manchester Evening News.
Whilst I agree that most of the time the atmosphere has been light hearted and fun during the past couple of days . . . and yes, I do mean couple of days . . . when I came across town on Tuesday at 8am there were Rangers fans drinking heavily even then, it must be clear to see that the result of a drinking binge which was approaching 36hours for some so called fans could only be trouble. I strongly disagree with the comments made that the organisation of the events was a shambles, the screen failing was obviously an unexpected technical error, surely this one fault cannot be deemed representative of the whole of the operation. And what about the response of the “fans” to this? Did they offer a well thought out and reasoned response? No, they did the only thing they know how to do. . . they rioted, destroyed the city centre and chanted Manchester is sh*t while they were doing so - these guys were actually enjoying themselves. These animals are not football supporters, they’re louts and idiots who came here for one reason only, to get drunk and cause trouble. It’s 9am now on the day after. I’m sat in my office at Piccadilly Gardens looking out on the carnage. What else can I see? Rangers hooligans stood on the street drinking vodka out of a bottle while they’re waiting for the pub to open. . . .great. Same story tonight as well then. Well done Scotland, you should be proud.
Matthew H, Manchester
Well then Lib,
Do take comfort at the exemplary standards set by English soccer ’supporters’ from around the world, Mancunians very much included
I just don’t understand why the police allow themselves to be attacked in this manner time after time - surely a water cannon or longer batons are called for - if - sorry Lib - when it happens again?.
To mr McPride - I’m sure you and many of your countrymen / supporters are fine fellows indeed and I must admit I’ve always thought the scottish contingent rather better behaved than most and i’m sorry that a few have tarnished your reputation in that respect.
Perhaps the next time we’re considering planning applications for football stadiums, they only build them on remote islands away from normal civilisation …. then they can rip seven shades out of each other but it won’t affect the rest of us.
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All I am saying is, don’t allow the kettle to call the pot black.
I do not stand up up for my countrymen’s appalling behaviour, and on behalf of every decent Scotsman apologise for this disgraceful behaviour, without reservation. But I am surprised at the outrage intoned in Lib’s comments, and see these as no less than racist remarks against the Scottish people.
Football hooliganism (rather like the beautiful game itself) was born and nurtured in Britain, in towns like Manchester.
Its hardly a Pro English footballers supporters post is it Mr Pride? Swap Rangers for any fans and Manchester for any town.
I wondered when someone would play the racism card, its any easy one to pull out of the bag. Perhaps I am being racist, and of course I’m outraged I’m pissed off about a bunch of people who have ruined where I live and I’m making a sweeping generalisation about a lot of people.
However, the ‘race’ I am referring to are football hooligans in general, these just happen to be Scottish, see my 1st sentence.
At least they’ve guaranteed they won’t be in the Premier League now eh? Nice one.
Like they never make any about the English. Virtually every sweat I’ve ever met has digs at anything not Scottish, normally when miles away from Scotland.
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Gareth, send the Chinese police over to show how to control crowds
Its childish, purile and unnecessary.
In March I took part in three days of watching sport, drinnking, reasonably heavily and partying - the Hong Kong Rugby 7’s.
There were a few hitches here and there but at no time was there any violence, malevalence or even a hint of trouble. HOwever we didn’t begin boozing at 8am, normally we were all tucking into breakfast and lining our stomachs ready for the day ahead.
It is possible but not, it seems, if the sport is football.
I like watching football but don’t, I prefer an afternoon at the rugby.
McPride is correct, England is/was on balance normally worse than Scotland and for sure many foreign cities have suffered the same fate in the recent past but I think what Lib is pointing out is that there was an auro of inevitibility about it when you see guys boozing at 8am and also the reaction to a broken screen is very much that of a spoilt brat.
Total shame on the whoel sport - it just happened to be Rangers turn, they won’t be the last.
What a wonderful display of Soccer Fans to present to rest of the country and the world as this is getting out everywhere..
I mean what has the world come to if a 175,000 soccer fans cant be corraled in one area, feed a diet of beer/alcohol and crisps for days, then cant have a good old fashioned riot/brawl just to blow off steam…..
and it wasnt their fault there was rubbish everywhere, where else are they suppose to put it, there isnt any bins… (probably burned out) but And how else are they suppose to celebrate and console themselves …
Just a big bunch of Good out fashioned lads out for a good night on the town ….
On a serious note… more a state of soccer culture but I fear this sort of behaviour is not just limited to these fans, riots and nonsense happens at many events across europe… this just shows it in concentration…
It hasnt happened here yet but give us time … it will…
Just Woeful …..
Remove the Alcohol the problem will go away or at least drop to a level that is containable…
Alcohol may be a contributing problem, but I’ve seen quite a few ‘riots’ in our area that get started up by perfectly sober otherwise sane people over sports! I’d say make these matches televised only or something similar so people don’t travel en masse to see it.
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The problem being with that Funky is that their mindset is totally to different to the rest of us. They will travel whether it is televised or not, to soak up the ‘atmosphere’.
Welcome back by the way.
its the same at the League down here but without the riots… people travel to the venue with out tickets … just to be where their team is playing they are mad…
but when you mix alcohol and sports fanatic you get this…
fights and riots can happen with out the grop but it is far more common when you add it in… also they tend to be far more violent, do far more damage and hurt far more people… because once they get drunk they loose all control….
The funny thing is AC, the police aren’t completely blameless, they honestly thought they could open up additional bars and not anticipate any trouble.
However, it came from a good place.
I cant thing why additional bars would give any more trouble…
One thing I do find ironic with any event like this here, there, where ever, is how the organisers continue to think this year will be any different. They can do the same things wrong each time and somehow by some miracle of common sense think there will not be the same issues as last time.
It is as if they think
175,000 people in a confined space half support one team and the rest the other team and at the end of the game they will all shake hands tell each other good game mate and walk off …
when in the real world you have bunch of drunk thugs whose team has just lost and one or two supports who won come over and say hahahahahaha your team sucks and its on for young and old…
Of cause there is going to be trouble…
But Lib is there statement on the amount they made out of the event in comparison with the damage and clean up costs… it would be interesting to see…?
I do like I must say though I like Wigan… I listen on the BBC online have done for years…
Uncomparable apparently AC, I did ask this question yesterday.
Money made - shed loads
Clean up costs - who cares, see money made.
Still doesnt excuse the behaviour though.
thats the point I was leading too…
I dont know I think answer is dont serve the grog…
but while they make stacks of cash they wont…
sad I think and for the people like you who have to live with results…
not good..
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thanks for the welcome. I’m not much about sports, but it just seems like keeping the large numbers of people away would keep the rioting to a minimum.
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Holy Crap! It’s like times square the morning after.
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There is an article this morning in the Metro.
One senior police officer was hit so hard his electronic earpiece was left embedded in his head and had to be removed by a doctor. Another was bottled over the head and a colleague lost his front teeth after being head-butted.
Rangers fan Philip O’Donnell, 26 - who has previously been banned from football grounds for 3 years for assault - said ‘I’ve got cuts and bruises on the wrists because of the handcuffs. I was taken to the cells in Oldham police station and didn’t even get to see any of the game’.
I’m considering setting up some kind of benefit concert on his behalf.
Idiot.
What causes the riot? I hate riot..
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Good question Nur Sarah lam, is it the people or the environment you put these people in?
I am amazed that the fun loving scots did this. I mean its not like they have a record for getting hammered and losing their ‘heeds’ is it.
The only highlight for me was seeing that one bizzy get a pasting. Having been on the receiving end of the GMP tag unit at the football it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch.
Who let the pagan out of his cage
Yo Lib!
I am just glad that the Celtish Welsh do not behave as the Celtish Scots.
I heard that the trouble was caused when the giant screens failed–A terminal 5 syndrome
I gather that there were going to be giant screens erected for ManU v some body else in Moscow but they have seen sense and cancelled them in Manchester.
BTW I am not a football supporter
Yes it was because of the screen but how pathetic is that?
I don’t go and beat up a BT engineer if my broadband goes a bit slow.
And they were indeed going to screen the Man U match, thats why a lot of people in Manchester are so angry because they have lost the opportunity to watch their team get battered by Chelsea.
And to be fair Dad, I don’t think the the Welsh behave like the Scots because they haven’t had an opportunity to.
How about winning all at Rugby Union.They just got quietly pi**ed
Who is Mathew H ??
My work colleague
Agree Chelsea will beat them and very nicely too I think…
hehehehe
thats my other team ..
comment in moderation
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Lib
and anyone who actually wants to see this …
this is what a night at the football looked like..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_pDbpSK6w&feature=related
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Thats the one!
I must say, they look exceptionally hard taking it out on a car.
I know I couldnt beleive it…
the poor car… actually the poor owner…
what they got up too.. check out part two of the clips it gets worse… truly..
Uh … wow.
I had to do some research on this because I don’t recall anything on THIS scale happening in the USofAye — I came across this:
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/02/09/why-arent-us-sports-fans-more-violent/
—– here’s the lowdown —–
“So why, in a country with a higher rate of violent crime than in nearly every other developed nation, do we suffer so much less fan violence at sporting events? Here are a few theories:
1. Many soccer matches are more local affairs than U.S. sporting events, thereby attracting a lot of fans for both teams, who are more likely to mix it up than if 95% of the fans are rooting for the same team.
2. We have better security.
3. We drink less; many U.S. stadiums and arenas now cut off the sale of beer, e.g., before the end of the game.
4. Perhaps the audiences at U.S. sporting events don’t include the criminal element — the result, perhaps, of high ticket prices.
5. For years, there has been talk of how American sports, particularly football, are a proxy for war and true violence; maybe this is actually true.”
———————————
All that being said, I’m not much into sports and only participate because both of my boys are avid sporting fans of Football (the American sort) Basketball and the occasional baseball game.
They roar at the television — it’s possible that there is more “at home” violence here as opposed to there as a result of sporting events and that information isn’t recorded. It would be an interesting sort of research project to draw the parallel between domestic violence and sporting events.
Thanks for perspective and facts Blue Collar, its interesting isn’t it.
Perhaps you have to look at the roots of the sport as well.
I’m really not knowledgeable about it but I believe that warring football fans goes back a long way and was heavily linked to religion. I think Urban is pretty clued up on this.
Why they still act like idiots today though I have no idea, its the sport of choice for these types of people.
Plus its hard to fight when you are stuffed full of hot dogs and pop corn, US footy takes about 95 hours per game so there is ample time to consume masses of lard.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Thanks for posting this Lib - it was mentioned on BBC news on our flight back to Doo-bye…
From the confines of the Spa to the reality of street violence, Burma ad China.
The last 2 we have sympathy for but the ‘add
and leave out in the Sun for 36 hours’ what does anyone expect?
It’s going to happen.
Where there any other kick off anywhere else in the UK over the game?
**Urban - do you really applaud the kicking of the police doing there jobs??? - Really?
Why is ‘but the ‘add and leave out in the Sun for 36 hours’ what does anyone expect?’ a valid view.
Cricket and Rugby both allow their supporters ample time to get beer inside them but rarely have the same outcome. Surely the line you just stated is basically an invitation for them as ‘it what we expected’
No, shoudl not be. They should not be any different to other sports events. How many get sloshed at horse racing? Don’t see them beating the midgets on the donkies do you?
A fair point but but with rugby and cricket most followers are there for the game.
Not for the beers and sun and the dust up - the leaders rarely follow or even care of the outcome.
The beer and sun comment was in the contest of footy ‘fan’s specifically.
And I think it has a lot to do with the passion of the game.
There are never scenes of utter despair after Lancashire County Cricket Club have lost a match.
There used to be drunkeness in the Members Stand but when they put the price of membership up I stopped going
No nowhere else, not even in Glasgow.
Perhaps because it was their own town?
did anyone see the scene where the copper with a riot shield knocked a kid of about 13 over on the same night?
I am not condoning anything but the police tend to be so heavy handed- as for ‘only doing their job’ I’ve had a dog set on me at everton vs stoke- my crime? leaving a pub to get the train home.
Agreed, I’m not exactly a fan of the C*nts in blue for similar reasons.
What comes around goes around.
Oh come off it, not every police officer is like that?
The injured ones in question weren’t even riot police.
And as for the 13 year old Urban? I would have had some sympathy if they were under 10.
You have to ask yourself why they were slap bang in the middle of a situation like that anyway. That 13 year old was either there on their own,in which case they had travelled all the way from Scotland on their own (hardly a kiddish thing to do) or they were with their parents.
in which case blame them.
Really,
Consider this. I was in casualty one night after a charming person randomly hit me with a bottle and a police officer came in with some little gob sh!te in handcuffs who had cut his hand during the arrest. The said filth pushed to the front and demanded the doctor (who’d just begun looking at my eye, which had glass embedded the eyeball and needed 7 stitches to the side of it) examine the dickhead he’d arrested. The doctor refused and said I was far more urgent, I also protested and pointed out there was a queue. The officer then threatened to arrest us both if we didn’t shut up. I informed him it was supposed to be a free country, that my rights came before a yobs and that his attitude was aggressive and rude and he should desist. He told me the law in fact demands that the yob is treated as a priority as he is in custody and I should keep my gob shut.
I pointed out this was rubbish and that he should wait his turn.
He threatened to arrest me again so I gladly invited him to do it as at least it would mean I was treated.
The next day I tried to lodge a complaint but was told I had no grounds. Shower of wankers and little sympathy from me.
One experience Gareth.
Of many.
No time for old bill.
Not saying the footy lot are right but I don’t trust plod at all, sympathetic policing is an oxymoron.
Gareth I have no time for the old bill either after listening to them gaining a confession out of guy in the cells with a phone book….aged 11 years i had no grounds….
Lib you’re a world famous photographer with AP? Those pics have AP tags on them
Ermm, for the of potential copyright issues, I have no idea what you are talking about.