UEFA - "it’s true that sometimes they are probably unfairly targeted"

mike65

William Guillard

Uefa has said that English fans have been “unfairly targeted” by foreign police prejudiced by the past.

European football’s governing body yesterday embraced a Government proposal to increase stewarding and limit the use of riot police in matches under its jurisdiction.

William Gaillard, the Uefa director of communications, said: “I understand the feelings of English fans and it’s true that sometimes they are probably unfairly targeted because of the past and because of lingering memories of what happened in the 1980s.”

However, Gaillard insisted the drinking culture among many English supporters had also contributed to recent crowd trouble in European games. He said: “It is also true that such patterns of behaviour of English fans abroad cause problems that are different from the problems caused by foreign fans.
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“Drinking, for example, is often absent in southern Europe. In southern Europe, you have another type of violence, linked often to extremist political movements or racist groups, which are really serious problems.

“But some southern European police forces are just not used to fans that have been drinking a bit too much. It’s a different way to celebrate, if you like.”

Uefa yesterday agreed to a series of new security arrangements at European matches after several instances of crowd trouble involving English fans last season. A review by the Home Office has been completed, which also included recommendations to develop pan-European training for stadium safety officers, stewards and police.

It follows problems involving Manchester United fans in Lens and Rome, Tottenham Hotspur supporters in Seville and Liverpool fans at the Champions League final in Athens.

Gaillard believes the solution to such problems is far from straightforward. He added: “The issue of stewarding, which is much more developed in the UK in general than on the Continent - or at least in some parts of the Continent like the south and the south east - deserves a lot of attention."

Good to see UEFA admit a problem of comprehension exists as now it can be tackled.

Mike.

Mr Alan

That he has done nearly enough in making amends for the comments he made post athens.

The guy definately needs to be fired.

(meant to be still dont think above, obviously )