Conference trucks::football;1

    
    
     I was one of those who expressed concern before the tournament
    started wrt violence. Happily I've been proved wrong, the behaviour
    of 99% of supporters from ALL countries has been superb and made the
    tournament enjoyable to all.
    
     Last nights violence had little to do with football. The thugs 
    concerned had a couple of shandies too many, probably a copy of
    the Daily Mirror in their back pocket, they wanted to use the defeat
    as an excuse for some aggro. Watching footage of it this morning, I
    laughed at the young ned at the front of the crowd taunting the police.
    The police charged the crowd, the "hard man" at the front tried to run
    away but fell on his arse. A few cracks across his back and head by the
    police batons and he was begging to be left alone. These idiots are the
    ones you see every w/end, smashed out of their tiny little minds on 
    cheap drink or drugs, looking for some aggro to brighten up their dull
    and dreary lives.
    
    Danny.
    
    

    >I am concerned over what the media will make of what has variously been
    >described as "rioting"  "mayhem" "thuggery" etc after we lost last
    >night. None of this was remotely close to Wembley, being in the centre
    >of London minutes after the final whistle and in such football hotbeds
    >as Milton Keynes & Brighton (sorry Dom!). 
    
    Come again? I didn't hear anything about this (hardly surprising on the
    face of it!) - what exactly happened in breezy Brighthelmstone? 
    
    I dunno, the minute I turn my back...
    
    Dom

    From the Guardian:
    
    "In Brighton coastguards rescued 7 England fans after they leapt off
    the end of the pier after the defeat"
    
    Rampant bad behaviour if you ask me.
    
    Paul

    >"In Brighton coastguards rescued 7 England fans after they leapt off
    >the end of the pier after the defeat"
    >Rampant bad behaviour if you ask me.
    
    Never heard of people losing money at bingo? ;-)
    
    Dom

    
    It was interesting to hear on the news this morning that last night
    Reading and Bracknell were a hot bed of mindless thuggery.
    
    I picked up the Reading Evening Post and the front page says "There was
    no trouble last night but there was one bloke arrested in Swindon...
    
    Swindon's Manager proberbly....
    
    Don't we just shoot ourselves in the foot with this type of reporting ?
    
    Pj
       

    I walked through Reading town centre last night and there was 'something
    in the air' but, the only trouble I saw was a bloke standing on his own
    holding a smashed glass shouting 'Bring on the Germans, I'll F******
    sort them all out', needless to say there were no takers.
    
    dickie$Shadwell,so not afraid, of such acts.

    interestingly the Atlanta local paper which hasn't even mentioned
    the scores of the games in its sports section this past couple of weeks
    has a front page picture of a skinhead kicking a policeman in riot gear
    and a story that seems to suggest LOndon was full of rioting. I'm sure
    this is nowhere near the truth but it's all they report about football
    in this distant outpost. 
    
    apparently CNN is showing pictures of rioting (?) in trafalgar square
    but maybe they just dug out some old tape like they do for other news
    events.
    
    regards
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks

    >apparently CNN is showing pictures of rioting (?) in trafalgar square
    >but maybe they just dug out some old tape like they do for other news
    >events.
    
    While we're on the subject, Andy, what was all that aggro in Boston the
    other day, with those people in fancy dress throwing tea in the
    harbour? ;-)
    
    Dom

    There was real trouble in central London, as shown by the Evening
    Standard, plus some in unspecified locations such as "the Thames
    Valley". There is also reporting of police over aggressive tactics and
    reaction. Beating riot shields in front of a gang of drunk teenagers
    hardly calms the situation. Maybe the Police needed to release tension
    too, having been unoccupied for the past three weeks.
    
    A US friend called yesterday afternoon and had heard that it was not
    safe to look or sound German in London at the moment - crap. But - its
    our own fault. I just hope our WC game in Moldova in September is
    remembered for stunning football rather than fans getting stunned.
    
    Paul
    
    ps - best of luck Andrew, your USA 94 diary was one of the best  things
    in here.

    Yeah, all the best for the future, Andrew. You certainly helped broaden
    the "international angle" on things in here. 
    
    Dom

    thanks guys i'll miss it in here too.
    
    btw I haven't actually seen CNN I was just reporting what someone else
    here at the office says they'd seen but I had seen the picture and
    story in the newspaper's checking of facts isn't legendary as they
    mentioned that Olympic soccer hooligans from England weren't expected
    to travel here [england, scotland, wales and ireland don't even enter
    a football team! to the olympics]
    
    strange i'll be in D.C on July 4th site apparently of an U.S victory
    over England in the 1776 World Cup tournament... (:==:)
    
    regards
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks
                                    

    
    > site apparently of an U.S victory over England in the 1776 World Cup
    > tournament
    
    It was a draw.  The U.S. won on penalties, George Washington scoring
    the decisive penalty.

    Oh dear,lost on penalties again.Tut! tut!