Source: Daily_Mail
Patrick Collins: Football is fooling itself if it thinks it has driven hatred out of the game
They began to cross the car park on the east side of Wembley Stadium.They were in their late teens, they wore the red shirts of Manchester United and they seemed apprehensive.[LNB] Their fears were well founded. A few yards into their journey, they were ambushed by a blue-shirted mob of Manchester City supporters. The girl was insulted and spat upon, the lad was kicked and jostled. They broke into a desperate run; the girl weeping, strands of spittle clinging to her hair; the boy pale and frightened.[LNB] Passions run high: Players and supporters had trouble keeping their cool[LNB] A screech of abuse pursued them as they raced between the parked cars. Then the mob turned to search for new victims in red shirts.[LNB] More from Patrick Collins... A Blue Moon over Wembley: Toure leaves elated City faithful dreaming17/04/11 Patrick Collins: Lampard butters up the boss that really counts16/04/11 Patrick Collins: Arrogance isn't confined to those on the pitch, Sir Alex09/04/11 Patrick Collins: Rooney's foulmouthed tirade makes mockery of new campaign02/04/11 Patrick Collins: Parliament must step in to ensure crackdown on ref abuse02/04/11 Patrick Collins: Fabio Capello enjoys a tranquil stroll in the Cardiff sun26/03/11 Patrick Collins: Sorry is so hard to say when you are Sir Alex Ferguson26/03/11 Patrick Collins: World Cup? You haven't got a hope, England19/03/11 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE An eye-witness said he had seen perhaps a dozen fights in that same car park as the fans left the ground. Most of them involved groups of eight or 10. There would be goading, followed by jeering, then an eruption of fists and boots.[LNB]One incident involved two United supporters launching a kamikaze assault on some 30 or 40 City fans. There was a good deal of blood. At the centre of another small battle, a man tore off his belt and wrapped the strap around his fist, with the large buckle swinging sickeningly. 'He meant to do damage,' said the eye-witness. 'He was looking to open up someone's head.'[LNB] The police were at full stretch. They would arrive in numbers, often supported by colleagues on horseback. But when the violence was subdued, another scuffle would break out 150 yards away.[LNB] 'You have to remember, these weren't kids,' said the witness.[LNB] 'They were mostly around 40 years old. Red and blue, both sides, they knew what they were doing.'[LNB] Now, there was a time when this kind of ugly aggression was a regular feature of our football. We saw it inside and outside the grounds every week. There was a tendency in official circles to brush it aside as an invention of the media, and particularly the press.[LNB] But that wasn't the case. The fact was that familiarity had bred a kind of weary acceptance. It was happening too frequently to qualify as news, so we tended to ignore it.[LNB]Later, when disasters compelled reform and grounds became safer, we were assured that football hooliganism belonged to the Middle Ages. The football experience had been dramatically sanitised. This was no longer a game, it was a brand, a vogueish accretion of corporate boxes, prawn sandwiches and Super Sundays. [LNB]And in this brash new world, violence has no place. That is the message, and the message is mistaken. Inside the stadia things have improved, thanks to a mixture of stratospheric prices and closed circuit television.[LNB] Standard bearer: A fan raises a Saltire before the Old Firm derby[LNB] Yet even here there is evidence of sinister potential. Listen to the songs, for the most part foul and threatening. Look at the twisted faces and jabbing fingers when an opposition player moves to take a corner or a throw. For too many, watching football is quite literally a hateful experience.[LNB] And since that is how they choose to behave in full public view, it follows that their conduct must be significantly worse when it is relatively unrestrained.[LNB] Look at the message boards of practically any of our major clubs. Hate is again the overriding emotion; the kind of incoherent anger generated by people at lonely keyboards, people protected by anonymity and motivated by irrational malice. It would be remarkable if such anger failed to find practical expression.[LNB] Over the past few days, we have become aware of the appalling threats made to Neil Lennon, the manager of Celtic. The demented zealots who posted parcel bombs have been roundly and properly condemned. And yet I detected more than a trace of smugness in some of the reaction south of the border. There was a good deal of head-shaking, wry disapproval. English audiences were offered faintly patronising historical explanations of how the Celtic-Rangers rivalry was essentially the Irish Question transposed to the west of Scotland.[LNB] The message, unspoken yet unmistakeable, was that such things don't happen here. And it is true that English football is not cursed by the poisonous passions of the Old Firm game.[LNB]But I recalled the events of last weekend. I reflected that hundreds of officers had been required to police the matches between City and United and Bolton and Stoke; infinitely greater numbers than would be needed at any similar sporting event.[LNB] I remembered the arrest statistics: 34 people following the Manchester derby, 16 after the other semi. Unquestionably, many, many more merited detention but, for practical operational reasons, this had proved impossible. No matter.[LNB] When it was over, a Metropolitan Police spokesman could say: 'It passed off without major incident. We thank the majority of supporters who came down and were lawabiding and peaceful and had an enjoyable day.'[LNB] Perhaps unwittingly, he illustrated how low the bar has been set.[LNB] He seemed to be telling us that things aren't too bad, that we shouldn't be too worried. On the contrary, I suspect there is a good deal to worry about, that we are refusing to admit the scope of the problem and that, quite soon, we may be in for a bitter awakening.[LNB] The signs could be seen last Saturday evening, as a young couple fled across a Wembley car park. With fear in their faces and a mob at their heels.[LNB] Boxing's the loser when Hearn talks such toshIt is a truth universally acknowledged that the bravest people in boxing are to be found outside the ropes. The fighters themselves may be passably plucky but most are sensibly aware of the dangers of their brutal calling.[LNB] The noncombatants are without fear. And, just occasionally, without judgment. I cite the performance of Barry Hearn in the wake of last weekend's WBA lightwelterweight title fight, when Amir Khan stopped Paul McCloskey with a cut eye in round six. [LNB] Making his point: Hearn discusses McCloskey's cut[LNB]Hearn, one of McCloskey's promoters, climbed into the ring to bawl a string of Rooney-esque protests at the referee, Luis Pabon. On the advice of the ringside doctor, Pabon had decided that the cut rendered McCloskey unfit to continue.[LNB] I have no idea if the decision was correct but the wound later required seven stitches, the doctor was, I presume, medically competent and Pabon has officiated in more than 100 world title fights over the past 18 years. All of which meant nothing to our Barry. He declared, apparently with a straight face: 'The referee must understand he has discredited boxing.'[LNB] He added, a shade improbably, that he had known worse cuts sustained while shaving. Then he said something rather disturbing: 'If Paul was going to lose, he had the right to be carried out on his shield.'[LNB] Now, what does that ludicrous cliche actually mean? That McCloskey deserved no official protection? That he should have been allowed to shed more blood in order to satisfy some specious notion of honour? That being carried away, possibly unconscious, would have been somehow preferable to being halted by a gash above his eye? I have known Barry Hearn for several years. He is not, I think, an especially insensitive man, but from time to time, and chiefly for public consumption, he talks the most outrageous tosh. He really should be more careful; for fear of discrediting the blood spattered business which has served him so well.[LNB] PSA few weeks before their epic title fight, David Haye predicted that Audley Harrison would end up 'like a victim of gang rape'. He seemed surprised by the widespread revulsion. Last week, after agreeing to fight Wladimir Klitschko, Haye tried again: 'He will freeze like an iceberg when I hit him on the chin in Hamburg.' Doesn't work, does it? It's inoffensive but desperately unfunny. Still, he has got until July 2 to come up with a rib-tickler. Either that, or stop trying.[LNB] PPSAfter agreeing to pay their players bonuses worth ?2.25million in the event of winning the Rugby World Cup, the RF U went looking for ways to cover their liabilities. They decided to place a ?250,000 bet on England reaching the final stages. If Martin Johnson and his men progress, then it's large ones all round. If they lose, then the question of bonuses will not arise. The RFU, sounding strangely like George Osborne, describe their actions as 'financially prudent'. Others may have different descriptions. [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: David Haye, Amir Khan, Barry Hearn, George Osborne, Martin Johnson Places: Manchester, Scotland, United Kingdom
