Football Supporters’ treated unfairly?

Football Feature
Artical by Scott Hobro

Figures released by the Home Office have revealed that one in 10,000 fans were arrested at football matches during 2007.

The statistics reveal that 37 million supporters attended matches in England and Wales last year, with 3,842 arrests made and only one in 10 arrests relating to acts of violence.

Pitch invasions, public disorder offences and consumption of alcohol made the majority of arrests.

The figures have prompted the Football Supporters’ Federation to question the treatment of fans as criminals at matches by police.

Amanda Jacks, of the FSF, said: “The vast majority of football supporters are normal, law abiding citizens and we’re very concerned at this portrayal of fans as violent, mindless thugs. The Government’s own statistics show this is simply not the case, and we’re pleased that Home Office minister Vernon Coaker has acknowledged this.

“There were fewer than 1,600 arrests inside football stadiums last year, a tiny amount when you consider a total of 37 million people attended games. And a large number of these were for trivial offences such as persistent standing or drinking alcohol within sight of the pitch.

“It’s very difficult for many supporters to challenge fairly minor, nonviolent charges. We’ve heard from people who have been put off from contesting dubious charges purely because of the expense involved or have had their cases thrown out due to lack of evidence – although these still appear in the arrest figures.

“Supporters are frequently treated like criminals, and we hear of far too many worrying cases.”

I would have to agree. We as football fans are all tarred by the police with the same brush. I found when we where in the lower leagues it was worse.

couple of season's ago at Sheff wed there were a few Hull supporters in a pub having a drink not causing a problem, next thing there are police surrounding the pub blocking us in, human rights my a**e. then we had to be escorted, amongst us were families etc, it was disgusting.

I find its paranoia on the police side of things, they are so scared that people are going to break into violence if they aren't there guiding you into grounds etc. does my head in. They are needed most definately for the few that do cause trouble but they can go over the top.

Without fans there is no football and no £100,000 a week footballers, fans should boycot matches and let the police and clubs know why. We deserve better treatment, imagine Chelsea v Man.Utd in an empty stadium, if there are no fans watching they won't need the police.

I SAY THAT SUPPORTERS NEED TO BE TREATED BETTER, WE PAY THE WAGES. THE STREETS WOULD BE

SAFER IF THERE WAS'NT SO MANY POLICE AT FOOTBALL MATCHES

sadly i dont thats really true any more, the humble fan no longer pay the wages. TV money has that well and truly covered. we fans are just an audience. nothing more.

as far as the topic itself goes the answer to the question is yes. football fans get treated like absolute scum.

ive been whacked with batons on more than one occassion for no reason other than the copper can get away with it. the coppers on horses force the horse to whack its head into you when you walk past. you get filmed in pubs, train stations and walking to the stadium despite doing absolutely nothing. ive seen CID pretending to be a fan in pubs and people thrown into vans for no reason at all. one copper squared up to me trying to provoke me because i swore during a conversation on my mobile. basically looking for a reason to arrest me. ive seen people rugby tackled and searched for seemingly no reason. coppers that police football games are scum. each and every one of them.

it really is disgusting.

Steely Hill, thanks for agreeing with me, i don't think the TV camera's would film a match with no supporters there.

There are always two sides of the story I think.

I followed a traditional Viennese football team which I don't want to mention for personal reasons for about 15 years home and away once.

When I started actively supporting, I began my career as a skinhead (round 1987 at the age of 16), we were a crew of about 15-20 members, no nutters, just some boys who spent the day drinking, chanting, playing cards and watching football (eventually shagging a bird on our way home ). We were sometimes treated normal but there have been places (especially away) were all hell broke loose when we arrived at the train station and we were treated like animals by local police (trungeons, dogs, etc.) for no reason. This was turning on our nerves and sometimes then we gave them the boot for being such arrogant pricks, which ended always badly for us 'cause you don't mess with coppers do you ?

Then the stress factor was too high and I quit attending, became an armchair fan for about 4,5 years.

Nowadays I only watch special picked matches of my interest (e.g. Bayern vs Celtic a few years ago in Munich, Sampdoria vs Parma about 2 years ago, ...) but what I have seen so far is that on the one hand within the last 5 years CCTV, massive police presence, limited ticketing etc. led to fans being sometimes criminalised without any reasons, e.g. when I wanted a ticket for Sampdoria last year because of some incidents before match day in Catania in Italy without passport and your name printed on it it was no way to get one.

On the other hand there has been a lot of trouble mainly in Italy and in the German lower leagues, even in Austria (drunk and disorder, pitch invasions, heavy fighting on and off the terraces, ...) so no wonder all the "Dirty Harry" hardcore politicians and coppers feel their necessity of heavy surveillance of football fans ok.