England fans

I agree with willmadsnan

As more information comes out about the violence in Marseilles, I take back some of my kneejerk reaction of automatically blaming the England football fans. Yes they still behaved badly, but to be set on by hundreds of organised Russian thugs bent only on violence, highlights a serious absence of effective policing- how did the "security body searches aka pat-downs as the supporters entered the stadium not reveal the weapons they were carrying? How could the police not react to the orchestrated vicious attacks on family groups or in one case, the disabled?
The French police are known for being tough but tear gas is a blunt weapon and should not be first resort.
Finally, again with a view to security, what if the motive had been terrorism on the scale of the Paris attacks? The resultant carnage is unthinkable.
I am not sure France should be hosting an event of this magnitude.

The flare gun went off very loudly just before the end of the match. It made us jump watching at home and we wondered if it was a terrorist attack but there seemed to be no alarm raised - as though nothing was more important than the game.

I don't think the French have their act together at all. ISIS tend to attack when attention is focussed elsewhere which is probably why the USA took a hit while everyone is looking at Europe.

Trying to cope with warring fans and possible terrorism must be a nightmare scenario though.

What terrorist attack in America?

The shooting in the gay nightclub may have been a nutter acting alone but they haven't ruled out links to ISIS

I would love to see Moscow. But I think I have missed the boat. World affairs.

Moscow is an amazing place jbf. Red Square, St Basil's Cathederal, the Gum store. Could not believe it when we were there. Had always pictured Russia as being behind an actual iron curtain when I was a child. We did an amazing tour of some of the underground stations. They have to been seen to be believed.

I think Anniebach is playing on words as she has posted on the Orlando Shooting thread.

I think possibly she does not like the use of the words terrorist attack.

The English fans were wrong and I am not stupid enough to know there will be elements in France who prefer to cause trouble than watch a football match and they do shame their country.

It is reported the Russian Ultras wore English t.shirts knowing this would be reported as English fans. Believe me the Ultras are out and out thugs and I think there is a lot of evidence searching required before UEFA took a decision to ban Russia and the England teams. There was a French presence in all of this too.

As for the police it is amazing how lax security has been , especially in the ground. I can't help but think what a strain those poor officers must be experiencing though as it seems to be a daily battle with somebody or another Terrorism, Strikes now the football, they must be shattered

That gunman in Orlando phoned 911 before he started and swore allegiance to IS. That terrorist attack Anniebach:

Thank you Jane, I thought there had been an attack overnight

Local radio has just reported that French prosecutors have said a group of 150 Russian "fans" were behind the violence.

I may be wrong, but I didn't see any women amongst the football violence. Am I wrong or are women not involved in that sort of thing. Must have been terrifying, one man had his little son there.

If I were Vladimir Putin and wanted to do my bit for the Leave campaign, I couldn't think of anything better than to encourage a punch up between Russian and English "football fans", knowing it would be dealt with by the heavy-handed French police.

It was bound to generate sensationalist nationalistic xenophobia in certain sections of the British press.

Conspiracy theory? Maybe??

It's always an embarrassment and shaming when fellow countrymen or women for that matter behave badly abroad and drunken yobbish English fans, if caught, I hope will be banned from travelling abroad in future. It does seem that the Russian Ultras, a scary looking bunch of thugs, seem hell bent on some sort of strange proxy war with the English fans and I feel very sorry for those who have just gone to spectate, especially when they have young children with them. These ghastly looking far right nationalists that are more prevalent in parts of Eastern Europe and certainly Russia are unfortunately no longer contained in their own countries. I'm not sure if Putin is complicit in perhaps not coming down on them in the way he should. The toxic mix of thuggery and the constant threat of another bunch of Jihads unleashing hell makes me wonder if any of it's worth it. It is after all only sport and not a training ground for World War III

Another reason why this referendum should not happen at this time - everyone knows that football hooliganism generates the worst type of nationalism.

You didn't need a crystal ball to see how much that would help the Leave campaign.

Russian football official Ivan Lebedev has congratulated the hoologans involved in the fights in Marseille saying "well done lads, keep it up"

And in other news Brexit ahead in the polls. Putin's looking very pleased.

Millymouge,I commented on that,they haven't gone that far yet,YET,Varian,that's very possible.
But what an awful shame for the genuine supporters.I know someone who saved all year to go.

The division of UK football into four national teams also drives a wedge between their supporters.

Scottish, Welsh and NI fans are distancing themselves from the hooligan minority amongst the England fans who were shouting "EU - OUT OUT OUT".

This reflects the different attitudes to the EU as only the English are likely to support Brexit and bodes badly for the future survival of the UK as we know it.

Agree with your last comment Varian.

Hooliganism of any kind is a disgrace but it seems to be agreed that the Russian hooligans were very aggressive and even armed with flares etc. so. why is t that only 6 English supporters have been jailed and nonRussian ones.

Also yes, very worrying re. the security. It shows what a soft target events like these are.

And no Russian ones, ( typo)

Wonderful to think ourfuture may depend on yobs with only a couple of brain cells between them.

The leave propaganda has done its job well.

From what I have gleaned it seems that the Russians were very well organised and managed to magic them selves away. I saw a report this morning that the Russian manager has said 'well done - keep it up ' to these thugs! Some Russians were wearing English tops it seems.
I hope it all quietens down before the next game.

Enlglish and Welsh fans who can't get in to the small ground at Lens where their teams are playing have been told that they can get entry to the match at Lille where the Russians are playing. Now there's a recipe for disaster.

All the hosting towns have set up Fanzones where the matches are screened. They also have food and drink outlets. The beer sold in Bordeaux was non alcoholic but not widely shown as that so many fans were behaving as if it was normal stuff - I wonder how many woke up the next day wondering how they did not have the normal hangover!!