Supporters call for ‘firm but fair’ policing

Date: 12/02/1998

By Simon Coss

FOOTBALL supporters' groups are calling on European police forces to adopt a 'firm but fair' approach to crowd control during international soccer matches.

The call has been prompted by fears that France may use heavy-handed policing methods during this summer's World Cup competition. This, say fans, would only make potentially violent situations worse. "What we want to see is firm but fair policing," said a spokesman for the UK-based Football Supporters' Association (FSA).

The group argues that the low-key policing methods used by the UK authorities during the Euro-96 football tournament could serve as a good example for law enforcement agencies elsewhere in Europe. "In continental Europe the police tend to be helmeted, carry shields and batons and are sometimes even armed. This is obviously very intimidating for fans," said the FSA official.

However, the organisation concedes that realistically it has little hope of persuading Paris to adopt a more 'user-friendly' style of policing.

Supporters' groups say there are lessons to be learnt both from Euro-96 and the 'Italia 90' World Cup. They claim that many problems which arose in Italy were caused by the fact that local police did not speak foreign languages.

Another widely criticised tactic was the expulsion of large groups of fans, many of whom had not been involved in any trouble. "There are two problems here: people who have done nothing wrong are targeted; and real troublemakers get away unpunished," said one observer.

The FTA says hooligans should be arrested, tried and punished, but argues that this should be done correctly. This reflects its alarm at suggestions that Paris may introduce a special fast-track system, whereby suspects would be tried within two days of arrest, for dealing with crowd trouble during the World Cup.

Law and order officials and experts from national criminal agencies across the Union will meet in the UK later this month to discuss ways of tackling the problem of football hooliganism.

Football supporters' groups are calling on European police forces to adopt a 'firm but fair' approach to crowd control during international soccer matches. Also report of international conference on security for the 1998 World Cup, Blackburn, 27.2.98.