Policing for European Games

[i kne albert davy]

I was in Lisbon for the round of 16 game against Sporting a few years ago. Locked in for probably over an hour after the game. An older blue had a medical issue, I think he might have collapsed. It was well over five minutes before the police eventually let medical staff into the stands to assist having initially blocked them. I believe the guy was ok in the end but had it been an actual cardiac episode it could have been a different story.

After the game frogmarched onto a met and sent express into the town centre. If any local ultras were intent on picking off any blues, there'd of been plenty easy targets trying to find hotels in the darker side streets.

Was there for both games, last Tuesday was totally different weren't kept in that long and could get off tram where you wanted.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

European away fans at the Etihad are kept in just as long. Especially clubs that have a large European Ultra following.

I went to Naples when City won 3-2. We were kept in for well over an hour after the match had finished. The riot police escorted us on to the waiting buses in the away end compound. It took another 40 minutes to drive around Naples, not through it, to get back to the original bus pick up point. By the time we got back it had gone midnight. At least it wasn’t as bad as the Istanbul coach park farce after the CL final.

Think in Naples the Police were doing you a massive favour keeping you in and escorting you out of the ground to your buses tbh!

 

[Spurs quarter 69]

They whistled, booed and waved their flags and scarves in the minute’s silence, which is bad enough in itself, but they didn’t chant what you said they did through it.

Strange as Macabi were always regarded as having a liberal left wing support like Tel Aviv itself. Know one of the Jerusalem teams is very right wing and very anti arab. Think the appalling events of 7 10 23 has turned many more Israelis into staunch nationalists.

 

[WestGorton]

I had a very different experience in Lisbon this week. I was there with my two sons (25 and 22). Before the match we got off at the designated metro station and were walking to the ground along with a load of other City fans, everyone was in good spirits. We walked past the street lined riot police when one of them stepped out and deliberately bumped into my eldest. When my son turned round they grabbed him. Two of them then jumped on him and dragged him away in a headlock. I was warned by some of the other police to back off and not to interfere whilst they had a word with my lad, still in a headlock. Eventually they let him go. I asked why they had pulled him in the first place and they said he had given them an intimidating stare!! This is from 10 coppers in full riot gear with my lad in jeans and a t shirt who was doing absolutely nothing wrong, just enjoying himself with his dad and brother.
It was disgusting and shook me up to be honest, particularly when you are powerless to act and it’s your son getting mistreated. The riot police were pumped up as usual and I got the feeling they just wanted to start something for the sake of it particularly as I saw no trouble from City fans at all, either before, during or after the game.
Experiences like this do put you off travelling to European aways.

I was in Lisbon with my son in 2022. He was singing a City song in the escort from the wrong tube station and was hit in the back with a truncheon. They smashed an old City fan in the face. We were held in for ages and everyone forced to go on a tube to the centre.

 

[cheddar404]

You can thank the scousers for this. We all have to pay for their behaviour. I'm not bothering with any more matches in Portugal, Spain or Italy as attending ruins the day.