Spanish police

On reflection, I don’t think it’s an anti English thing. They just have different ideas about crowd control

The worst violence I’ve ever witnessed was at the Madrid derby about 10 years ago when the Spanish Police battered a load of Real Madrid fans inside the Vicente Calderon. It was even reported in the Spanish newspapers, but nothing got done.
 
Scaring Europe to Death said:
On reflection, I don’t think it’s an anti English thing. They just have different ideas about crowd control

The worst violence I’ve ever witnessed was at the Madrid derby about 10 years ago when the Spanish Police battered a load of Real Madrid fans inside the Vicente Calderon. It was even reported in the Spanish newspapers, but nothing got done.
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In as much as they're completely and utterly useless at dealing with large crowds?

Yep, a mate of mine said a Real Madrid fan has been telling him for years that the Madrid police are a disgrace when it comes to policing football matches. I won't be going there again. A Champions League semi-final - one of the biggest City matches I've ever attended - and I was on the verge of walking out and not giving a shit about the result after what I witnessed. I shouldn't be feeling like I don't care about the outcome of such an important game but that's how much the whole experience made my piss boil.
 
M18CTID said:
In as much as they're completely and utterly useless at dealing with large crowds?

Yep, a mate of mine said a Real Madrid fan has been telling him for years that the Madrid police are a disgrace when it comes to policing football matches. I won't be going there again - a Champions League semi-final - one of the biggest City matches I've ever attended - and I was on the verge of walking out and not giving a shit about the result after what I witnessed.
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Yep
Unlike the proactive Germans, (and even the French in Paris), the Spanish and Italian Police prefer to wait for something to happen, and then jump in and batter everybody in sight.
Let's face it, nothing got done when United were battered in Rome, and nothing will get done this time.
It's wrong, but that's the way it is.
 
Scaring Europe to Death said:
Yep
Unlike the proactive Germans, (and even the French in Paris), the Spanish and Italian Police prefer to wait for something to happen, and then jump in and batter everybody in sight.
Let's face it, nothing got done when United were battered in Rome, and nothing will get done this time.
It's wrong, but that's the way it is.
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I know. I've got zero confidence that anything will happen but I'm still e-mailing the club with my own experiences.
 
Scaring Europe to Death said:
Yep
Unlike the proactive Germans, (and even the French in Paris), the Spanish and Italian Police prefer to wait for something to happen, and then jump in and batter everybody in sight.
Let's face it, nothing got done when United were battered in Rome, and nothing will get done this time.
It's wrong, but that's the way it is.
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I cant highlight your quote 'wait for something to happen' but from what I saw they don't wait, they provoke and then lash out. If you can push a ten year old kid to provoke trouble you really are the lowest of the low and by you I of course mean then Spanish Riot cops. If City fans had started trouble I would be on here condeming them, I didn't see any bad behaviour from City fans in three days, loud Yes, Friendly drunk yes but yobs ? NO.
 
Blue Maverick said:
City should make representation to UEFA and Cameron get him to call in the Spanish Ambassador to explain the actions of those police, I'm still fuming over it and the more I read it just confirms I'll never go there again.
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Can see where you're coming from but UEFA are not going to do anything at all about one of their favourite, and most powerful, clubs. And Cameron, and politicans in general, don't give a fuck about football fans. For years and years we've been treated like shite by the authorities, seen as a problem to be managed. In what other sport are you not allowed to watch the game with a drink - or banned from drinking altogether, herded like cattle, forced to identify yourself, or be filmed by the police for no reason other than you're going to a game?

I believe there is an ACTUAL law that potentially criminalises supporters if they even share a coach with anyone convicted of a "football" offence. Coaches of away supporters have been turned away from games because the police "believe" they might cause trouble, based on no evidence, and there are stories of police boarding coaches and confiscating everyone's ticket for the same reason.

Apologies for going off topic, but although less brutal than the Spanish police, don't think that the cops over here see you in any other way.
 
M18CTID said:
Last week in Shambles Sq was a disgrace - City and Madrid fans drinking together and then the GMP turned up and told us we weren't welcome and they only wanted Madrid fans there....in a bar that is used by City fans at every home game!
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That is a disgrace, and just goes to show how little english football fans are thought of.
 
Blue Mist said:
I cant highlight your quote 'wait for something to happen' but from what I saw they don't wait, they provoke and then lash out. If you can push a ten year old kid to provoke trouble you really are the lowest of the low and by you I of course mean then Spanish Riot cops. If City fans had started trouble I would be on here condeming them, I didn't see any bad behaviour from City fans in three days, loud Yes, Friendly drunk yes but yobs ? NO.
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I know what you mean.
The only thing I'd add is that the Germans understand the idea of "Friendly drunk". The Spanish just aren't interested, and probably view it as a challenge.
 
kinkyblue said:
It won't if we do nothing!
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We are a football club that has no say in how a foreign country runs its Police forces or how they go about policing a game.

Italian and Spanish police have form and they have it because they know they can do whatever the fuck they like and nothing will ever get done about it.
 
If as fans we are having to endure the new ticketing process in the name of security, then its time the fans are also represented and afforded some security, as opposed to what was witnessed in spain, or are we viewed as just a risk?
 
My cousin works at the British Embassy in Madrid and I spoke to him a couple of years ago about the game in Madrid in 2012, when the Charlton (I think) chairman was amongst several fans attacked by police in a bar. The Embassy was aware of this incident but he said the police just aren't accountable for their actions. They have numerous incidents reported to them but nothing ever gets done which is shocking. It will probably take some to get killed before higher Spanish authorities get involved.
Cannot imagine a similar scenario as happened on Wednesday happening in the UK without there being serious repercussions for the officers involved.
 
Was same in 82 World Cup folks-lining us young lads up and leathering us with batons- best thing is to boycott the fkin place if we get drawn against them again-and I mean nobody go - this would defo raise the profile of the problem and get TV attention !
 
Their faces are usually obscured for a reason. No accountability. They're essentially organised thugs. It happens all the time in Spain and a few City fans getting an unprovoked beating isn't going to change it. I wouldn't expect anything to come of this. It's going to take somebody filming a copper from start to finish beating an innocent fan to death completely unprovoked before the government get involved and changes are made. Their policing coupled with the rife pickpocketing makes Spain a very unattractive Euro away
 
You could try contacting your MP's office (the political one, not the charming one). Request a meeting, explain what it is about and let them know if you/fellow blues have photo or video evidence. You can request your MP contacts the Foreign Office and asks them, in turn, to seek an explanation from the Spanish government about the police behaviour. Make it a concern for safety of UK citizens in another EU country especially in context of recent Hillsborough news. If you just complain about police brutality then they will say it is a Spanish matter how they police football. Tell them other blues are contacting their own MPs.

I know MPs are shithouses and we can all be cynical about them but they can't ignore a formal request from their constituents, whether you voted for them or not. Following your request, they will have to provide you with an explanation of what happened next with the Foreign Office or why nothing happened. The point is that you have an audit trail so you can take it further if you need/want to. It might be ages and be frustrating before you get answers but you can keep nagging your MP and it will be on record that you nagged and they eventually can't ignore you. Get MP's e-mail address and keep on at them.

You have to be seriously up for a long haul complaint and even then it might go nowhere. I experienced the tunnel in Amsterdam (I also had to give a policeman my phone as a deposit for going for a piss in the stadium) and some minor baton action first trip to Barca so now I only like matches in Germany. Fed up with being treated like an animal for a king's ransom.

Good luck
 
Here is a thought. If the violence we are talking about happened on the street I accept City, Madrid and Uefa would ignore it. This violence happened inside the stadium therefore they all can do something about it. I accept it is possible that none of the three do anything but i f we do not complain we cannot moan that nothing gets done.
It was inside a stadium FFS. Cops with no numbers or identification should not be allowed inside a stadium totally unaccountable for their actions. Uefa could stop that tomorrow and City could put pressure on them to make it happen. I know what some will reply to this, I accept it sound ludicrous but doing nothing, saying nothing just means we will get beaten up in years to come.
 
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