Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
1. Proper Intelligence Led Policing to identify travelling gangs and potential hooliogan elements in order to target such groups rather than fans in general.
2. An Alcohol Ban at the first signs of trouble
3. There should have been proper policing in the stadium during the first England Game. To have fans chargung at other fans who are trapped against fencing has the potential to lead to people being tampled and crushed to death.
A further three things that UEFA should have and should be doing.
1. UEFA Should not have put England fans in Marseille, a city where they have a history, which is a powder keg and where the potential for violence was greatest. Marseille fans were even involved in a riot with PSG Fans at the French Cup Final earlier this year.
2. UEFA should have planned the event more careful including the policing element and fan segregation.
3. UEFA should now take heed from the English FA, the oldest Football Association in the world in relation to putting England and Russian fans together in Lille, if necessary move one of the venues somewhere else and keep the fans seperate, and put an alcohol ban and proper policing in place.
It all becomes even more embarrasing for the French when the the Head of the FA Grey Dyke criticises UEFA and the British Home Secretary Theresa May becomes involved and has even been criticial of the French Police and Authorities, so it's now a diplomatic and political mess as well as an organisational and policing mess.
I think all this talk of an alcohol ban is irrelevant really, it looks like the truth is (finally) starting to filter though, my friends over there have told me exactly what's going on, there is a large gang of Russians simply roaming around beating people and by that I mean people sitting eating, people walking window shopping, people SITTING IN WHEELCHAIRS! (yes that's what they have seen), they are beating anybody who is English. Banning alcohol is not going to stop them, perhaps arresting them might have been a good idea instead of shooting water at them!? And now they have openly said they are going to Lille to simply start doing the same thing. The whole thing has been astronomically badly handled, the French authorities (police)? They've simply came out with 1980's stereotypical comments - blame the English, there WILL be further problems in Lille all the while the Russian idiots (who think its tough to jump on individuals 6 at a time) are free to roam, take them out of the equation and the English and Welsh will sit together drink together and watch the football in peace together. It looks like lives are at risk, don't forget they are ganging up on people just because they are British and beating them until they are unconscious, if a life is lost (and there is a very real possibility of this) it will simply be murder for no reason, if the authorities continue to just brush it off as 'English hooligans' they are being EXTREMELY naïve and are little better than the Russians themselves.
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 2 days ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,175 posts, read 13,455,286 times
Reputation: 19472
Quote:
Originally Posted by NigerianNightmare
^^^^
Come on although the Russians may have started some of the things don't act like the British youth are completely innocent.
Even Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts, a Senior British Police Officer and the National Police Chiefs' Council Lead for Football Policing, with over ten years experience in Football Policing, has seen nothing like what the happened in Marseille in relation to the Russian Ultras. They even beat one 52 year old British man over the head five or six times with an Iron Bar. He's now in an induced coma with brain swelling, and possible brain damage.
The head of Britain’s Euro 2016 policing operation has hit out at the Russian football fans behind the scenes of violence in Marseille – and vowed to help search for them.
Assistant chief constable Mark Roberts said the attacks were the most serious and coordinated he had seen in 10 years specialising in football violence.
He told how British police spotters saw some Russia fans “tooling up” with gum shields, fingerless martial arts gloves and bandanas.
Roberts, who is in charge of Britain’s police operation in France, said: “England has had its problems with hooligans in the past. But the Russians are entirely different – they are like nothing we have seen before.
They are highly organised and determined to carry out sustained violent attacks at a level of aggression I have not encountered in the past 10 years.
“Our spotters in Marseille saw them putting in gum shields and putting on martial arts gloves and bandanas before attacking England fans in the port.
“We know some were carrying knives because one England fan was stabbed. They wore a kind of uniform – all in black t-shirts and clothing and most carried bum bags, possibly to conceal weapons.
“Speaking candidly, it is clear there was a small minority of England fans who were in Marseille to cause trouble. Some of the English were guilty of anti-social behaviour.
“But there was a far larger hard core of Russian troublemakers we would estimate at around 300.
“They targeted English fans when the majority of them were decent people in Marseille to enjoy a drink and the football.”
Roberts said teams of specialist British police spotters on the quayside in Marseille observed a “perfect storm” of clashes.
Some Paris Saint-Germain football fans travelled to clash with a group of Olympique de Marseille fans, as England and Russia fans fought nearby.
Roberts said: “The situation in Marseille was probably unique. There has never been such a toxic mix in terms of football violence.
“Our primary concern going forward is for the safety of UK citizens at later stages in the tournament.
“Travelling England fans should be wary that they may encounter Russians in Lille this week as the teams have games a few miles apart.
“It would be sad if I were to advise England fans not to wear their colours in high risk areas so I will stop short of that, but I would advise them to be sensible and vigilant.”
Roberts’ team’s prime mission had been to gather evidence against any violent England fans in France to stop them travelling in future.
About 2,000 England football fans have been issued with banning orders to block their travel to France, due to past offences. But no such bans have been placed on Russia’s Ultra Elite group.
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 2 days ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,175 posts, read 13,455,286 times
Reputation: 19472
Quote:
Originally Posted by easthome
I think all this talk of an alcohol ban is irrelevant really, it looks like the truth is (finally) starting to filter though, my friends over there have told me exactly what's going on, there is a large gang of Russians simply roaming around beating people and by that I mean people sitting eating, people walking window shopping, people SITTING IN WHEELCHAIRS! (yes that's what they have seen), they are beating anybody who is English. Banning alcohol is not going to stop them, perhaps arresting them might have been a good idea instead of shooting water at them!? And now they have openly said they are going to Lille to simply start doing the same thing. The whole thing has been astronomically badly handled, the French authorities (police)? They've simply came out with 1980's stereotypical comments - blame the English, there WILL be further problems in Lille all the while the Russian idiots (who think its tough to jump on individuals 6 at a time) are free to roam, take them out of the equation and the English and Welsh will sit together drink together and watch the football in peace together. It looks like lives are at risk, don't forget they are ganging up on people just because they are British and beating them until they are unconscious, if a life is lost (and there is a very real possibility of this) it will simply be murder for no reason, if the authorities continue to just brush it off as 'English hooligans' they are being EXTREMELY naïve and are little better than the Russians themselves.
The Russian Hooligans don't see bothered about anything other than violence, and that is regardless of whether those being attacked are just innocent Britons having a drink or watching the game. It's very sad, and these gangs need to be targeted through international cooperation.
The Russian Hooligans don't see bothered about anything other than violence, and that is regardless of whether those being attacked are just innocent Britons having a drink or watching the game. It's very sad, and these gangs need to be targeted through international cooperation.
Agreed but first people (who don't know what is actually going on there) need to stop simply blaming the English! English people have basically been under attack from gangs for days now and yet I unfortunately think its going to take somebody murdered before something is actually done about it. I know two people out there and its plain to see, I do think that (finally) people are starting to see what's really happening.
^^^^
Come on although the Russians may have started some of the things don't act like the British youth are completely innocent.
There was a time when English thugs were amongst the worst, but people seem to fail to realise that this isn't 1985 anymore! The English may be drunk, obnoxious and boorish at times but this has everything to do with gangs of Russian and French yobs deliberately targeting ANY English person who just so happens to be in their path - they have been organising this for months and even boasted before hand that they would do it, the English have had NO protection from the authorities because of outdated views like this, in fact the French police have practically joined in. The Russians have already said they are going to do exactly the same thing again in Lille, you will see English and Welsh (their actual opponents!) fans together drinking and singing (with the odd obnoxious idiot or two) peacefully UNTIL the Russian arrive when it will all go 'pear shaped' again, unless the police and the authorities finally cotton on to what's happening instead of simply blaming the English as they always do.
Back to the OP's question, I think soccer has become one of the top sports in the US by many metrics. The 2015 FIFA Womens World Cup had more viewers then the 2014 World Series or the 2015 NBA Finals. MLS has the third highest average attendance, but I think this has a lot to do with smaller stadiums. My Sporting KC Park has been sold out almost continuously since they opened, which it maxes out around 20,000. In 2012 30% of Americans households had someone playing soccer, more then any sport except baseball, and I'd guess its just a matter of time until it surpasses baseball.
I'm not saying soccer is the most popular, that will be American Football for the foreseeable future. But soccer is in a close third, and possibly most popular among youth.
My city, Grand Rapids MI, started a team last year - I went to some games and was surprised to find it was getting over 6,000 every game
This season has just started and they are getting the same numbers
Dance and electronic music isn't as mainstream in North America either.
Even though the audience is growing there, there are still songs that make it big in Europe and Australia that either don't impact the U.S. and Canadian markets or chart at much lower positions.
The "deep house" trend that's been going on for about 2 years still hasn't caught on there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
