REARING its ugly face at The Hawthorns, crowd violence was the worst news in our football since the last time.
We must not give it an inch because do so and repeats of the problem that invaded us in the 70s and 80s might well damn us again.
Acting together, clubs, the authorities and the police have used techniques to control if not to eradicate hooliganism inside grounds and the streets around them.
In the end only the certainty of being caught, guaranteed punishment and respect for other supporters have led to much-diminished violence.
There are counter forces as well.
Drugs, alcohol, over-excitement, ignorance, rivalry and sheer criminality play their part.
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At West Brom’s home FA Cup-tie with neighbours Wolves several of these factors were at work, in particular hatred and the away team’s second and likely decisive goal.
In the moments afterwards a stray Wolves fan overdid the exultation in an Albion section, and trouble followed, sadly inevitably.
From where I sat, in a comfy chair elsewhere, it was clear that the TNT cameras were trying to pinpoint the site of the outbreak.
They weren’t very successful.
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But when Albion’s brawny centre-back Kyle Bartley scrambled through the pack holding his two young children tightly, it was clear we had a serious problem.
Great credit to the police, stewards and pre-planners in case of a red-hot rumpus, in the end we had half an hour’s shutdown of play, a chap with a blood-streaked face and six arrests.
Not a small incident and one freighted with enormous repercussions.
When I joined Birmingham in 1993, the club were still tarnished with the reputation of the Zulu gang and the St Andrew’s riot at the end of the match with Leeds on May 11, 1985.
Madness was on hand that day.
A crazed idiot punched a police horse to the ground.
Then a dozen or so jumped a wall, pulled down a long advertising hoarding and charged down the pitch behind it, knocking over police and horses.
A 15-year-old lad tragically died, 145 police were injured, 125 fans arrested and at least 50 went to hospital.
On the same day 56 people died in a fire at Bradford’s Valley Parade ground.
A joint inquiry on both led to new standards of safety in UK stadiums.
Later, the Hillsborough disaster added to the urgency for new standards of policing major events.
Our clubs, together with various authorities, also introduced high-standard stewarding and crowd control both inside stadiums and in the vicinity.
Behaviour is monitored in car parks and in stations and even trains.
My club has had plenty of experiences of bad behaviour as they cause me both fear and fury.
Away to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar last season we started celebrating reaching the Europa Conference League final when our players’ family and friends were attacked at the final whistle.
An AZ mob broke through a fence and attacked our contingent in the stadium.
There was a brawl in which our players, including then-captain Declan Rice attempted to quieten them.
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We have to ensure The Hawthorns skirmish doesn’t become the start of something horrible — a raging battle in which bloodied heads are but a precursor of mayhem.
I pray this is not so.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
