© Owen Humphreys/PA
English fans flee at the end of the Russia-England match in Marseille, June 11th 2016
English fans flee at the end of the Russia-England match in Marseille, June 11th 2016
Comment: How convenient. Russia is to be sanctioned while the English get away scot-free!
It means that neither England nor Russia will face action for the violent scenes witnessed in Marseille's old port area, where fighting and attacks have taken place since supporters started arriving on Thursday. However, after Russian fans appeared to charge their English counterparts at the full-time whistle at the Stade Velodrome, the Independent understands that Uefa will launch an investigation into the events that tarnished what was a well mannered and behaved match.
It was widely reported that England fans were provoked by French locals on Thursday, with bottles being thrown at groups of English fans gathered outside three separate pubs in the city. However, England fans appeared to be to blame for the violence that unfolded on Friday, with French police provoked into firing tear gas at groups of English fans that were behaving anti-socially under the influence of alcohol.
Comment: Provoked or not, the English fans behaved like animals.
The worst was to come on Saturday when, as British police had feared, large gangs of Russian supporters attacked England fans as well as French locals hours before the game, leaving dozens injured and British citizen in a "critical condition" after suffering a cardiac arrest while being beaten, according to local reports.
Comment: According to 'local reports' provided by English fans who were among the crowds of hooligans! The video footage overwhelmingly shows English fans causing mayhem.
Uefa released a statement before England kicked-off their Group B match against Russia at Marseille's Stade Velodrome to condemn the actions, but to also confirm that they are unable to discipline any side whose fans fail to act in an appropriate manner.
"Uefa firmly condemns the incidents in Marseille," the statement from the tournament organisers read. "People engaging in such violent acts have no place in football."
"Uefa can only take disciplinary action for incidents which happen within the stadium perimeter."
Comment: In other words, no punishment for the primary offenders.
Uefa's inability to take action comes as a result of Article 6 of the tournament regulations, which states that national "associations are responsible for the behaviour of their players, officials, members, supporters and any person carrying out a function at a match on their behalf."
It means that should any of the unsavoury scenes witnessed in the old port transfer to the Stade Velodrome, then both England and Russia would be at risk of sanction later in the tournament.
As usual the English paper's are full of anti-Russian propaganda. They've charged Russia & docked three points. And guess what? The ponerized English fans are calling for Russia to be banned from everything (including their own world cup) & are actively re-writing history about the world's current ills. Not to mention the past. Because "Blighty" & its "allies" didn't cause any problems for the world for the last... 500 years.