Football hooliganism

[Lencoboy]

I know I'm always saying this, Lenco, but I think the world might be less scary for you if you plucked up the courage to engage with it a little more.

I think you could be right there BI.

Obviously the world seems a lot more scary nowadays than it really is, partly because of the proliferation of 24/7 rolling news channels, social media, etc, which barely existed before the 2000s.

[pulisa]

You don't have to engage with this proliferation though. You have a choice. I know your dad has the news on round the clock but you don't have to do as he does?

[Lencoboy]

We lost the Euro final in 2020 at Wembley, London was not on fire afterwards.

The police have shot and killed 24 people since they despatched the scrote in 2011, we have not seen the same reaction since.

In truth, footie hooliganism in general has never actually gone away, but the media seem to be making out that it's making some kind of 'comeback', and are using the recent Covid pandemic as a 'scapegoat'.

I also recall back in 2008-09 when we had a couple of high-profile footie-related disturbances, notably Manchester (can't remember whether it was Man U or Man City) in May 2008, and Upton Park in August 2009, and the media in turn were quick to 'scapegoat' the Global Financial Crisis, plus we were also at the height of the moral panic about c*@v culture/feral youth, and of course all things 'Broken Britain' at that time.

[pulisa]

Why do you need to pay so much attention to what the "media" says? Why are these sources so important to you?

[Lencoboy]

If Paris over the weekend was any example, I'd be more concerned about the police than hooligans.

I agree with you there that the police certainly had a fair bit to answer for over the appalling and OTT ways they treated many of the punters there, especially by firing tear gas with the seemingly innocent law-abiding majority getting caught up in it.

Must have been pretty damn terrifying for them.

I also vaguely recall during Euro 2016, there were tales of French cops 'baiting' England fans, plus playing the trite 'English Disease' card.

All in all there seems to be a deep-rooted sense of animosity towards the British in general from the French police.

[Pamplemousse]

The French police tend to act first and ask questions later. Mate and I suddenly found ourselves surrounded by the buggers in Paris during the Euros when some bit of trouble started.

[Lencoboy]

The French police tend to act first and ask questions later. Mate and I suddenly found ourselves surrounded by the buggers in Paris during the Euros when some bit of trouble started.

I remember when we went on holiday to France in 1988 my dad was pulled over by the police just 5 minutes away from the ferry port on suspicion of drink-driving, and he said he was treated with contempt by them whilst being breathalysed and interrogated.

Although my dad was completely sober, and otherwise completely innocent, he said it was quite an intimidating and unnerving experience, especially as said plods had guns on them, which, apart from in places where the threat of terrorism is most likely (e.g, major airports, certain parts of central London, etc) are rarely ever seen here in the UK.

[BlueIris]

I know this won't help, but in my teens I spent some holiday time with a penfriend who lives in Calais. Seen from the outside, the way Brits behaved was abysmal, and I felt embarrassed and intimidated by them. I don't necessarily blame the police in those specific areas for having an attitude.

[Pamplemousse]

I know this won't help, but in my teens I spent some holiday time with a penfriend who lives in Calais. Seen from the outside, the way Brits behaved was abysmal, and I felt embarrassed and intimidated by them. I don't necessarily blame the police in those specific areas for having an attitude.

Regrettably, I have to agree with you. When in Paris during the Euros I perfected my Gallic shrug and asked them if they spoke French because I didn't understand English.

My mate went one better - he asked the same question of British fans in Welsh!

[kyllikki]

As an American, I am slightly baffled by football hooliganism, I must admit. We do have sports-event related crowd violence here at times, but it's drowned out by all the other, more regular everyday violence we have.
Therefore, also as an American -- please be incredible thankful your country has sensible weapons and use of force restrictions, for citizens AND police. Ours doesn't and so for many of us everyday activities are anxiety-provoking (rationally or not!) I'm talking things like daily use of public transportation or your vehicle, grocery shopping, concerts, religious services, not to mention schools and government buildings. The sort of things it's hard to avoid.

Whereas I'd move to the UK in a heartbeat as I feel pretty confident I could avoid sports nonsense in any country I lived in!