Britain's hooligan stance attacked

European police hope to avoid scenes of violence

Britain has come under fire from the German government for not doing enough to prevent the threat of football violence at this year's Euro 2000 championships.

Germany has clamped down on its 8,000 known troublemakers and 3,000 have had their passports marked to stop them travelling to Holland and Belgium.

I would like to have seen the passports removed of a significantly larger number of our own convicted hooligans

Bryan Drew, NCIS

Britain may ban two fans involved in violent clashes at the Scotland versus England match last November and police have launched a last-minute campaign to target travelling hooligans.

The concerns have been backed in this country by Bryan Drew of the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS).

He believes the passports of hooligans banned from games in England and Wales should be confiscated automatically.

Match worry

German football fans earned themselves a brutal reputation after clashes in France during the 1998 World Cup.

A policeman trying to control the fighting fans was left maimed for life.

Otto Schily has led a clampdown on German hooligans

The biggest worry for Euro 2000 is the England versus Germany fixture on 17 June in a stadium already considered unsuitable by many for such an encounter.

"Anyone who wants violence and other bad things should stay at home and we should force them to stay at home," said German Interior Minister Otto Schily.

"I'm a little concerned that legislation against hooligans in Great Britain can't be put forward."

Mr Drew said the legislation for action was already in place but was not being used enough.

First refusals

"In an ideal world, I would like to have seen the passports removed of a significantly larger number of our own convicted hooligans," he said.

"It should be mandatory that when a conviction is made, they should be made to surrender their passports so many days before a football match."

Mr Drew said he would be pressing the home secretary to review the new Football and Offences Disorder Act 1999 and ensure wider use of international football banning orders alongside the home bans.

NCIS and European police are now working 24 hours a day to stop the hooligans.

Border controls were set up by German police on Thursday and NCIS is forwarding the names of around 1,000 English hooligans who are to be stopped and sent home if they try to enter Belgium or Holland.

Beer fear

Home Secretary Jack Straw announced on Friday that fans banned from domestic fixtures were being told they risked the wrath of the Dutch and Belgian authorities if they decide to travel to the tournament.

Two known hooligans have already been refused entry to Holland at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam and at the port of Hook of Holland.

Dutch police have 1,100 officers, including 200 riot police on duty in Amsterdam, ready for the arrival of thousands of England supporters.

"I think that will be enough, and anyway we hope there will not be any trouble," said city police spokesman Superintendent Klaas Wilting.

Eindhoven authorities have taken a different approach - ordering thousands of gallons of half-strength beer - 2.5% rather than 5% to try to keep the trouble down.