bulgarian fans

poindexter

a work colleague was telling me that on the Sofia News there was talk that the Bulgarian fans were not too happy with the way they were treated. i don't know if this was by irish fans, gardai, stewards and am a bit surprised if this is the case.

has anyone heard anything similar or different with regards to this??








edit: just read this

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=102429

From the Irish Independent (independent.ie)

Letter By Angelina Bojkova

I write to register my disappointment at what appears to be the gradual loss of something that makes Ireland so unique compared to others in Europe, and particularly Britain.

As one of the contingent of Bulgarian supporters who made our way to Croke Park for the international soccer match on Saturday, I was astonished to find we were herded into a corner of the ground, surrounded by a large body of Irish police throughout.

After the game, we were not allowed leave the stadium for over 20 minutes, until presumably all the Irish fans had left.

The reason for this ridiculous security operation is beyond me.

In the days before the match, myself and my compatriots wore our Bulgarian colours with pride -- and experienced nothing but a warm welcome in the pubs and on the streets of Dublin.

Everyone wished us well, saying "may the best team win". A handful of seemingly wealthier people asked how we had the money to travel to Dublin, which was rather insulting, but the vast majority of people we met were wonderful.

I have heard how Irish fans at big hurling and Gaelic football matches sit side by side in games of great passion without any trouble. To my knowledge, you have almost no football hooliganism in Ireland.

Imagine my shock and disappointment arriving at Croke Park to be treated as potential hooligans.

Where was the risk of Bulgarian and Irish fans fighting each other? Ireland's independence and culture and achievements within the European Union serve as a model of encouragement for Bulgaria.

Where was the camaraderie and wonderful hospitality we had experienced before and after the match in the hearts of those who decided this security operation was necessary?

It was as if we were in England, and that the Irish police, or Croke Park or the soccer authorities had ditched a part of Irish culture and replaced it by mimicking what goes on across the water in Britain.

We Bulgarians who were there love Ireland and didn't allow this idiocy and a 20-minute post-match lock-in spoil what otherwise was a great party.

Angelina Bojkova
BALLINTEER, DUBLIN 15

monkey9

Thursday April 02 2009



Treatment of Bulgarian fans a bit offside




I write to register my disappointment at what appears to be the gradual loss of something that makes Ireland so unique compared to others in Europe, and particularly Britain.

As one of the contingent of Bulgarian supporters who made our way to Croke Park for the international soccer match on Saturday, I was astonished to find we were herded into a corner of the ground, surrounded by a large body of Irish police throughout.

After the game, we were not allowed leave the stadium for over 20 minutes, until presumably all the Irish fans had left.

The reason for this ridiculous security operation is beyond me.

In the days before the match, myself and my compatriots wore our Bulgarian colours with pride -- and experienced nothing but a warm welcome in the pubs and on the streets of Dublin.

Everyone wished us well, saying "may the best team win". A handful of seemingly wealthier people asked how we had the money to travel to Dublin, which was rather insulting, but the vast majority of people we met were wonderful.

I have heard how Irish fans at big hurling and Gaelic football matches sit side by side in games of great passion without any trouble. To my knowledge, you have almost no football hooliganism in Ireland.

Imagine my shock and disappointment arriving at Croke Park to be treated as potential hooligans.

Where was the risk of Bulgarian and Irish fans fighting each other? Ireland's independence and culture and achievements within the European Union serve as a model of encouragement for Bulgaria.

Where was the camaraderie and wonderful hospitality we had experienced before and after the match in the hearts of those who decided this security operation was necessary?

It was as if we were in England, and that the Irish police, or Croke Park or the soccer authorities had ditched a part of Irish culture and replaced it by mimicking what goes on across the water in Britain.

We Bulgarians who were there love Ireland and didn't allow this idiocy and a 20-minute post-match lock-in spoil what otherwise was a great party.

Angelina Bojkova
BALLINTEER, DUBLIN 15

redout

I dont get it ? Its commom practice for the away fans to be segregated and have a Garda/Police presence. Being told to remain behind is also commom practice and its for safety more than anything else. Happens in the Premiership all the time.

newballsplease

At more or less every International soccer game the fans are kept apart.



Edit- its a woman writing the letter though........................... ooh im in for it now!

Karmafaerie

Did the Gardai not start enforcing a stricter control scheme since the Polish game, due to the reputation of some Polish fans?
That's what I heard anyway.
But yes, all international games are like that.

CiaranC

redout wrote: »

I dont get it ? Its commom practice for the away fans to be segregated and have a Garda/Police presence. Being told to remain behind is also commom practice and its for safety more than anything else. Happens in the Premiership all the time.

What has the premiership got to do with it?

I think this is common practice here now. They held Derry and Sligo back after the first two matches in Tallaght, even though they were drinking in the same place as us before and after. Maybe its a directive from somewhere.

meditraitor

I was sitting above them in the cusack stand and believe they were put at the worst possible part of the Croker.
I would be a bit miffed as well if I traveled to Bulgaria and was put into a corner like they were

grames_bond

meditraitor wrote: »

I was sitting above them in the cusack stand and believe they were put at the worst possible part of the Croker.
I would be a bit miffed as well if I traveled to Bulgaria and was put into a corner like they were

they were put there coz there wasnt enough of them to open hill 16!

SectionF

The woman is right to complain.

In the spirit of aping all things British when it comes to football, FAI and the gardai have boasted recently that they are taking their cues in football crowd control from English police. The latter have made it their business for some time to treat supporters like animals.

LoI supporters have been getting a menacing taste of this, along with hysterical Garda propaganda, for a few years now.

meditraitor

grames_bond wrote: »

they were put there coz there wasnt enough of them to open hill 16!

I guessed but it was a shit spot none the less..........

As I said if it was me traveling to another country for a match and I was hearded into the worst corner of the ground I would be irate....

The Recliner

grames_bond wrote: »

they were put there coz there wasnt enough of them to open hill 16!

Fairly sure they can't use Hill 16 for competitive internationals

We had to get special dispensation to use Landsdowne with bench seats installed on terraces for football internationals

Draupnir

The Recliner wrote: »

Fairly sure they can't use Hill 16 for competitive internationals

We had to get special dispensation to use Landsdowne with bench seats installed on terraces for football internationals

They can use Hill 16 for competitive games, either that or there was a giant mirage of thousands of seated people during the Ireland Germany in the Euro 08 Qualifiers.

The Recliner

Draupnir wrote: »

They can use Hill 16 for competitive games, either that or there was a giant mirage of thousands of seated people during the Ireland Germany in the Euro 08 Qualifiers.

Fair enough, I thought FIFA and UEFA had different regulations about temporary seating though

PCros

Its a standard procedure to keep the away fans back for 20mins at internationals, its happened at all the matches no big deal.

As for the way they look trapped and in a bad position is down to the few numbers that travelled from Bulgaria.

As for Hill 16, I'm fairly sure there is no standing allowed at FIFA games but there is for UEFA games hence the Germany match was a UEFA competition.

poindexter

poindexter wrote: »

a work colleague was telling me that on the Sofia News there was talk that the Bulgarian fans were not too happy with the way they were treated. i don't know if this was by irish fans, gardai, stewards and am a bit surprised if this is the case.

has anyone heard anything similar or different with regards to this??








edit: just read this

Wasn't the seperating of fans been done since the english ripped up Lansdowne road?I think it is a good idea.

joe316

What about when they scored and the rushed the fence? And the crappy plastic building fence had to lifted up in order to stop them going over.

What about the two bulgarian police officers there video taping, the above incident? (before anyone asks they had vests with "police" writen on it and a bulgaria flag as well). I never seen a visible foreign police force at a match before.

I was sitting right beside them (in 302, same seats for every game) and yes they were loud and more agressive than any other visiting team.

TBH what concerned me more was the booing of our team at the end.

OPENROAD

redout wrote: »

Happens in the Premiership all the time.

Not really, has not been my experience where it seems both home and away fans mix after games.

PCros

joe316 wrote: »

What about the two bulgarian police officers there video taping, the above incident? (before anyone asks they had vests with "police" writen on it and a bulgaria flag as well). I never seen a visible foreign police force at a match before.

The Bulgarian police dont have Bulgarian flags on their uniforms, most nations I can think of dont have their national flags on police uniforms. Plus police would be written in Bulgarian, just like ours is written in Irish.

They may have been press or from the Bulgarian football association.

Dub13

PCros wrote: »

As for Hill 16, I'm fairly sure there is no standing allowed at FIFA games but there is for UEFA games hence the Germany match was a UEFA competition.

There is no standing allowed at FIFA or UEFA matches,you can however apply to have the temporary seats installed.I would imagine there just was no need for the at this game.

PCros

Dub13 wrote: »

There is no standing allowed at FIFA or UEFA matches,you can however apply to have the temporary seats installed.I would imagine there just was no need for the at this game.

I see, I wasnt a 100% sure. They have to put in bucket seats or something?

grames_bond

The Recliner wrote: »

Fairly sure they can't use Hill 16 for competitive internationals

We had to get special dispensation to use Landsdowne with bench seats installed on terraces for football internationals

The Recliner wrote: »

Fair enough, I thought FIFA and UEFA had different regulations about temporary seating though

you are right and wrong, they are allowed use hill 16 no bother but it cant be terraced, they put bucket seats in and then let the away fans in!

joe316

PCros wrote: »

The Bulgarian police dont have Bulgarian flags on their uniforms, most nations I can think of dont have their national flags on police uniforms. Plus police would be written in Bulgarian, just like ours is written in Irish.

They may have been press or from the Bulgarian football association.

They werent uniforms merely a bib with the word police and the bulgarian flag on the shoulder, bit weird for the press to have the word police on a bib??

Ronan|Raven

Away fans in corner of stadium shocker. Dear god what a load of horse****. It's common practice to keep away fans behind for a few minutes after a game. Where will the Irish fans be in Sofia? Oh yea in their own section..

fullstop

PCros wrote: »

As for Hill 16, I'm fairly sure there is no standing allowed at FIFA games but there is for UEFA games hence the Germany match was a UEFA competition.

Wrong, there is no standing for either, only for friendlies, but the new hill 16 is designed so that seats can easily be installed.

PCros wrote: »

The Bulgarian police dont have Bulgarian flags on their uniforms, most nations I can think of dont have their national flags on police uniforms. Plus police would be written in Bulgarian, just like ours is written in Irish.

They may have been press or from the Bulgarian football association.

Wrong again. They were Bulgarian police officers with Bulgarian flag and 'Police' (shock horror, maybe police in Bulgarian = Police) on blue stab-proof vests.

bigstar

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

Away fans in corner of stadium shocker. Dear god what a load of horse****. It's common practice to keep away fans behind for a few minutes after a game. Where will the Irish fans be in Sofia? Oh yea in their own section..

the bigger question is why is it accepted so readily. most other sports i can think of have the fans mixed in together and the only sport i know of with much hooliganism is football

Ronan|Raven

Well as you have just said there yourself, the threat of violence between fans is the main reason. Also at away matches I sure prefer being in a section with my fellow fans of my team.

bigstar

your missing my point. ive been to countless football matches and have never once felt 'the threat of violence'. its bullsh1t tbh, there are hooligans in football and theyre helped by being forced in together, its a mob mentality. if opposing fans mixed at matches (which they do in real life and magically dont kill each other) i dont think youd have much if any trouble

Zatman

Real football fans mix together easily and it something that connects easy is love for football. I was at Villa vs Ajax and Man City vs West Ham and their was no trouble with fans mingling after the game and even getting the same train together.

Its just idiots/thugs that are not football fans who cause the trouble

PCros

fullstop wrote: »

Wrong, there is no standing for either, only for friendlies, but the new hill 16 is designed so that seats can easily be installed.



Wrong again. They were Bulgarian police officers with Bulgarian flag and 'Police' (shock horror, maybe police in Bulgarian = Police) on blue stab-proof vests.

Police in Bulgaria looks something like this - Полиция (Politzia).

Your friend said it was a bib and you say it was a stab vest? Whos lying?

stovelid

poindexter wrote: »

a work colleague was telling me that on the Sofia News there was talk that the Bulgarian fans were not too happy with the way they were treated.

I agree. The Irish ambassador in Sofia should make an immediate apology for making them pay to watch a game involving Paul McShane and Kevin Kilbane. At the very least, a refund should be offered.

fullstop

PCros wrote: »

Police in Bulgaria looks something like this - Полиция (Politzia).

Your friend said it was a bib and you say it was a stab vest? Whos lying?

You? You were wrong, get over it.
A bib and a vest are much the same thing except a bib wouldn't be stab proof and it looked to me like they were stab proof vests. I was close to the pitch so I got a good look at them.

The Recliner

grames_bond wrote: »

you are right and wrong, they are allowed use hill 16 no bother but it cant be terraced, they put bucket seats in and then let the away fans in!

Cool, I thought temp seating was against FIFA regs

Now I know