Yahoo News Football hooligans are a stain on the game that will never be removed
Hooliganism remains a stain on football. It is simply too ingrained and stubborn to remove fully.
English fans seem to be hunted and targeted like never before in Europe; a scalp to be taken whether they are looking for a fight or not. It seems everywhere English clubs go in continental competitions, trouble stalks them.
On Monday night, a group of Newcastle United supporters had to defend themselves when a group of so-called Paris St-Germain ultras, dressed in black hoodies, many with face masks or scarves wrapped around their faces, attacked the Parisian bar they were drinking in.
Flares, glasses and chairs were thrown through windows as Newcastle fans clung on to a door to prevent the bar being stormed. French police had already been forced to order the “safe” pubs, designated for them to drink in, close early because they knew PSG thugs were planning an ambush.
In Milan, Newcastle fans were chased and attacked, leading to the hospitalisation of one supporter who had been slashed with a machete. When AC Milan played PSG last month, there were even more violent clashes in what appeared to be pre-arranged fighting.
On Thursday night, there were fears West Ham’s trip to Serbia to face Backa Topola could spark a repeat of the ugly scenes witnessed when David Moyes’ side beat AZ Alkmaar in the semi finals of the Europa Conference League last season. On that occasion, Dutch hooligans attacked the travelling West Ham fans in the stadium. The night made a cult hero of West Ham fan Chris “Knollsy” Knoll, who blocked their path on the stairway and held back a baying mob, leading him to be dubbed “The Angel of Alkmaar”.
Thankfully, the game in Serbia passed peacefully but instead it was at Villa Park, where Aston Villa took on Legia Warsaw, that violence erupted as the visitors attacked police before the game, injuring three. Legia also caused problems during a clash against Leicester City back in 2021 and have a reputation for trouble.
Some people will argue these attacks happen well away from stadiums and often the night before rather than the day of a game so cannot be directly linked to football but the victims are fans, not tourists.
Of course, we should not try to pretend that English fans are saints and never sin when it comes to the scourge of hooliganism in Europe, but neither should we ignore the fact that they are often antagonised, provoked and attacked without starting or looking for trouble.
Many of us have been outspoken critics of the way England fans behave abroad, invading city centres and priding themselves on taking over bars and pubs while engaging in offensive and jingoistic chanting.
We also have our fair share of “stains” on the game if you want to word it like that, but increasingly it seems to be other countries who are struggling to control their hooligan element.
Hooligans remain a clear and present danger
It has been a problem in the Netherlands for years and in other European countries too. The fact is, much of it goes unreported. Any fan of an English club will have stories of being chased or bars being attacked. It comes with the territory - if you are willing to travel to watch your team play in Europe, you know you also walk around with a target on your back and need to be vigilant because it is not safe.
Being locked inside stadiums after the final whistle, sometimes for as long as an hour, “for your own safety” so that the home fans can disperse is pretty standard.
Maybe we have caused it ourselves. Our track record of hooliganism - a disease we exported to Europe decades ago - is catching up with us. All those pictures of paralytic, topless England fans taking over town and city centres have left their mark too.
But what is clear is this: football hooligans have not disappeared, they remain a clear and present danger.
European football holds much appeal and remains the most exciting fixtures for many fans to look forward to, especially the trips abroad, but they should come with a warning. Just because you are not looking to cause trouble, trouble may well find you.
