There's a reasonably balanced piece on the Grauniad

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The most obvious questions for me are about the policing: its nature, its tactics (fire teargas to disperse at the first sign of trouble, rather than identify, isolate and remove the bad element) and its inexplicable absence in the stadium (how were those Russian fans able to get into England areas so easily, and how were they able to take explosive devices into the stadium in a country supposedly on terror alert?)

None of this detracts from the idiotic behaviour of a minority of English morons. I don't care if they were provoked, they were being provocative themselves and they didn't need to respond to what the French and Russians did in the way they did. "No surrender" was the National Front's football song back in the day and to people round about my age will always carry that connotation - maybe it's lost that meaning to younger fans but there's no place for it or the other reported chants at or around a football game.

French and Russian fans and the Marseilles police have plenty to answer for, arguably more than "our lot" - but that doesn't absolve those few English idiots from anything.

I've seen no suggestions, though, that the England fan fighting for his life in an induced coma was any part of any bad behaviour. From what I've read he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the French police were slow to help him.

Posted By: Old Man on June 12th 2016 at 22:57:19

Message Thread

News just said French want the English and Russian FAs to be punished for the violence... (Other Football) - Dandy Highburyman, Jun 12, 22:38:56
- And Vestia (Russian news agency) has said (Other Football) - Old Man, Jun 12, 23:02:18
  - There's also this which is extraordinary behaviour for a government minister... (Other Football) - Dandy Highburyman, Jun 12, 23:12:04
  - Russia is such an utter shambles at times (n/m) (Other Football) - Charles21, Jun 12, 23:08:01
  - Wow. Looks like Quatar and Russia were both good decisions. (Other Football) - avenging canary, Jun 12, 23:06:04
- There's a reasonably balanced piece on the Grauniad (Other Football) - Old Man, Jun 12, 22:57:19
  - Iain Macintosh has also done some very good eye-witness stuff on all this. (n/m) (Other Football) - bird table, Jun 12, 23:00:46
  - Spot on. (n/m) (Other Football) - avenging canary, Jun 12, 22:59:45
- From what I have seen, the French have some questions to answer. (Other Football) - avenging canary, Jun 12, 22:45:29
  - The problem is, no one is looking at this dispassionately (Other Football) - King, Jun 12, 22:49:29
    - I don't the articles I posted are saying anything differently to what you've posted (n/m) (Other Football) - Dandy Highburyman, Jun 12, 22:55:46
      - Okey dokey (n/m) (Other Football) - King, Jun 12, 23:01:39
      - *think* (n/m) (Other Football) - Dandy Highburyman, Jun 12, 22:56:10
  - Wish our lot wouldn't take the bait (Other Football) - CauldRon, Jun 12, 22:49:03
    - Big part of it. Agreed. (n/m) (Other Football) - avenging canary, Jun 12, 22:50:23
  - Indeed, it is looking pretty bleak but there is still a chance (n/m) (Other Football) - Dandy Highburyman, Jun 12, 22:46:29
    - Auto sodding correct strikes again (n/m) (Other Football) - Dandy Highburyman, Jun 12, 22:56:38

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