British outraged and shocked about “terrible scenes” in Alkmaar

• Arjan van der Horst

  Correspondent in america

The UK has reacted indignantly to the storming of the principle stand in Alkmaar by AZ supporters throughout the semi-finals of the Convention League. The supporters part included many family members and mates of West Ham United gamers. British media described how gamers tried to intervene to guard their family members towards the aggression of the AZ supporters.

West Ham United coach David Moyes was shocked. His father was within the half that was attacked by the AZ hooligans. “I can not clarify why this occurred. A few of our gamers intervened as a result of the assault was within the field the place their household and mates had been. It definitely wasn’t the West Ham followers out for hassle.”

BBC commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball described the “terrible scenes” simply after the ultimate whistle on the reside broadcast. “Some followers wearing black jackets and hoods run into the decrease a part of the stadium part to specific their displeasure. Issues are getting out of hand. From a distance I can see blows being thrown.”

A West Ham supporter nicknamed ‘Knollsy’ acquired lots of consideration on social media and within the British newspapers. Video footage on Twitter exhibits how he single-handedly stopped a horde of AZ followers. He suffered blows, however escaped with bruises and a few unscathed. West Ham followers have hailed him as a hero.

Joe Cole, a former West Ham United midfielder and now a sports activities columnist for the Each day Telegraph, attended the sport. “It is absurd, grown males attacking West Ham followers. Gamers had been nonetheless making an attempt to interrupt them up. AZ Alkmaar followers throwing punches, it is ridiculous. There have been households within the enterprise. Soccer is for everybody. That this Nonetheless taking place within the trendy recreation is ridiculous.”

Cole calls on UEFA to intervene onerous. “For years, English soccer has been in a deep trough as a consequence of persistent soccer violence. We not see that in England in the present day. We’ve got not skilled this in English stadiums for a very long time. We nonetheless have a foul repute, however we see this taking place primarily in different European nations.”

AZ supporters stormed the principle stand:

Particularly within the Eighties, soccer violence and hooliganism had been generally known as the “English illness”. Matches within the English soccer league had been frequently accompanied by disturbances and violence. The English followers additionally had a foul repute overseas. A go to by an English membership to a European nation was feared, as a result of English hooligans typically sought confrontation with the police and supporters of the opponent. Supporters of the England nationwide staff had been additionally repeatedly concerned in riots overseas.

This got here to a climax with the Heysel catastrophe in 1985. Liverpool performed within the European Cup closing towards Juventus on the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, now referred to as the King Baudouin Stadium. In the course of the match, riots broke out by which Juventus followers had been crushed. A complete of 39 folks had been killed, together with 32 Italians. English golf equipment had been banned from European soccer competitions for 5 years as a punishment.

These days it’s uncommon for soccer violence to disrupt a recreation within the English league. The truth is, English stadiums are so secure that spectators can sit near the pitch with none separation.

For the reason that Nineties, the British authorities, in cooperation with the golf equipment, have taken a sequence of measures to suppress soccer violence. Followers who misbehaved had been subjected to heavy penalties and prolonged stadium bans. There was a ban on alcohol in stadiums. Smarter deployment of police and stewards, together with safety cameras, paid off. England was as soon as an instance of how to not do it, these days it’s European golf equipment that may study from the English method.