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Violence erupts as England fans clash with Portuguese police Violent England fans an embarrassment to the team and not welcome, says FA
(about 3 hours later)
English football lurched back to the bad old days on Wednesday night when hundreds of supporters were baton-charged by riot police after hurling bottles and goading officers at a fan zone in Porto. The Football Association has condemned the England supporters who caused mayhem on the streets of Porto on Wednesday night as “an embarrassment to the team” – and says they are not welcome in football.
Police condemned what they called “completely unacceptable” behaviour from fans which included smashing a car window, forcing roads to be closed to traffic and singing songs such as “Fuck the Pope and the IRA” and “10 German bombers”. Three England fans were reportedly arrested. Two England fans were arrested after being baton-charged by police after hurling bottles at local supporters and police in a packed fan zone in Liberdade Square, and another was later arrested as more violence broke out.
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The most serious incident occurred in the large fan zone in Liberdade Square in central Porto after Cristiano Ronaldo had put Portugal one-up in their Nations League semi-final against Switzerland. With 18,000 England fans expected in Guimarães to see Gareth Southgate’s side play the Netherlands in the Nations League semi-finals the likelihood of more trouble is high, and the FA is warning fans to behave.
A Portugal supporter threw a drink in the air to celebrate after which several drunken England fans retaliated by hurling bottles at the locals and then the police. As dozens of panicked locals – including many parents with children – ran to take cover in the nearby McDonald’s, riot police armed with shields and batons moved in. Shortly afterwards they charged at the England fans, causing them to flee. “The FA strongly condemns the scenes witnessed in Porto overnight,” a spokesman said. “Anyone responsible for these disturbances cannot be seen as true England supporters and are not welcome in football.
An uneasy peace existed for much of the second half, with the Polícia de Segurança Pública appearing determined not to get involved unless they had no option. However, troubled flared again after Ronaldo scored his late goals and continued sporadically until the early hours. “They are an embarrassment to the team and the thousands of well-behaved fans who follow England in the right way. We are liaising with the UK Football Policing Unit.”
Kicking off at Fan Zone after England fans throw bottles at police and police respond by charging at England fans ... police cheered on by locals pic.twitter.com/yTGnqAiB3dKicking off at Fan Zone after England fans throw bottles at police and police respond by charging at England fans ... police cheered on by locals pic.twitter.com/yTGnqAiB3d
A worker at an ice cream shop near the incident said later she had seen England fans being arrested and taken away in police trucks. UK police also condemned what they called “completely unacceptable” behaviour from fans which included smashing a car window, forcing roads to be closed to traffic and singing songs such as “Fuck the Pope and the IRA” and “10 German Bombers”.
By the end of the night Liberdade Square had broken bottles everywhere and hundreds of armed police watched on as England fans sang songs about the second world war on what was also the 75th anniversary of D-day. The most serious incident – which was witnessed by the Guardian –occurred in the large fan zone in Liberdade Square in central Porto after Cristiano Ronaldo had put Portugal one-up in their Nations League semi-final against Switzerland.
British police condemned the “completely unacceptable” clashes. Deputy chief constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chiefs’ Council football policing lead, said: “This is the second evening in a row where disorder has occurred in Porto. Last night there were issues outside a bar, where bottles were thrown and minor damage was caused. It is completely unacceptable. A Portugal supporter threw a drink in the air to celebrate after which several drunken England fans retaliated by hurling bottles at the locals and then the police.
“The behaviour of a small number of the England fans out here continues to tarnish the reputation of the genuine fans who are simply trying to enjoy the football.” As dozens of panicked locals – including many parents with children – ran to take cover in the nearby McDonald’s, riot police armed with shields and batons moved in. Shortly afterwards they charged at hundreds of England fans, causing them to flee.
However, several England fans said they had been unfairly targeted by police. One supporter showed the Guardian a large welt on his back, which he said had been caused by a police baton. “I was just watching the match with my mates when it all kicked off,” he said. “Someone came at me from the side and whacked me. It’s going to be sore tomorrow.” An uneasy peace existed for much of the second half, with the Polícia de Segurança Pública appearing determined not to get involved unless they had no option. However, troubled flared again after Ronaldo scored his late goals and continued sporadically until the early hours of Thursday morning.
Just spoke to an England fan, who didn’t want to named, who said he caught up in the police baton charge and ended up with this. ‘It’s going to be sore in the morning, he said. pic.twitter.com/4qnj5rOQRHJust spoke to an England fan, who didn’t want to named, who said he caught up in the police baton charge and ended up with this. ‘It’s going to be sore in the morning, he said. pic.twitter.com/4qnj5rOQRH
Another England fan in his early 20s had a different view of the police charges. “That was great,” he said. Several England fans said they had been unfairly targeted by police having turned up to watch the match. One supporter showed the Guardian a large welt on his back, which he said had been caused by a police baton.
The trouble followed several minor incidents of antisocial behaviour on Monday and Tuesday as thousands of fans England gathered in Portugal before the semi-final against the Netherlands on Thursday. The Guardian witnessed one Portuguese driver protest to police after a bottle was thrown at his car, smashing his front window. “I was just watching the match with my mates when it all kicked off,” he said. “Someone came at me from the side and whacked me. It’s going to be sore tomorrow.”
Shortly afterwards dozens of England fans blocked traffic, causing police to close one side of the road to traffic. The trouble will be hugely frustrating for the Football Association, which only last week warned that England’s reputation was being damaged by a new generation of fans who adopt a “stag-do culture where young guys get together and suddenly anything goes”. Another England fan in his early-20s had a different view of the police charges. “That was great,” he said.
The trouble followed several minor incidents of antisocial behaviour on Monday and Tuesday as thousands of fans England gathered in Portugal.
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The FA also launched an advertising campaign with the slogan ‘Don’t Be That Idiot’ and which acts out extreme examples of unacceptable behaviour before ending with the England manager, Gareth Southgate, saying: ‘You’re part of our team, make the country proud.” The Guardian witnessed one Portuguese driver protest to police after a bottle was thrown at his car, smashing his front window, near Ryan’s Irish pub.
Fans were also warned to behave by Tony Conniford, the FA’s head of security, who told them: “A lot of it is alcohol-fuelled and there almost becomes an acceptance that because you are at football, anything goes. I find that difficult to buy into and people need to have a look at themselves and start to think: ‘If my relatives, wife or children were here with me, would it be an enjoyable experience?’ And the answer is no.” Shortly afterwards dozens of other England fans, singing “Ten German Bombers”, also blocked traffic, causing police to close one side of the road to traffic.
The FA will also be frustrated that the trouble comes less than a year after the reputation of English fans was applauded during the World Cup in Russia. Deputy chief constable Mark Roberts, National Police Chiefs’ Council football policing lead, confirmed that Portuguese police had been forced to deploy riot officers against a group of England fans in the main square area of Porto.
Some warned at the time that the England fans had only behaved because they were worried about the fearsome reputation of the Russian police. And so it has proved. “It is believed the fans had been throwing bottles at Portugal fans who were watching the match in the same area,” he said. “This is the second evening in a row where disorder has occurred in Porto. On Tuesday night there were issues outside a bar, where bottles were thrown and minor damage was caused. It is completely unacceptable.”
With around 18,000 England fans expected to travel to Guimarães to see the Netherlands match, there is clearly a likelihood of further trouble. “The behaviour we are witnessing is incredibly disappointing and again I would point fans towards the recent video from the FA: ‘Don’t be that idiot’,” he added. “The behaviour of a small number of the England fans out here continues to tarnish the reputation of the genuine fans who are simply trying to enjoy the football.”
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