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Tuesday, 2 June, 1998, 18:10 GMT 19:10 UK
French choose British antidote to football ills
English fans know how to have fun, but will they behave themselves?
"The British invented the poison of hooliganism, but they have also invented the antidote."
Dominique Spinosi, security chief of this summer's Football World Cup, is a straightforward person. She does not hesitate to say who she thinks is responsible for pioneering football violence (although the usually passive Scottish fans might take exception to her generalisation). Thankfully, say British police, she takes the same straightforward approach to the job in hand. The French have been quite open about calling on British expertise in drawing up a security policy for the World Cup.
The French have been talking to British police for almost two years about security arrangements. The tone will be similar to that of a Premiership game in England: a relaxed police presence coupled with strong backup should there be trouble. Good intelligence is also a key issue, enabling police to pick out known troublemakers. Tactics for a smooth run French tactics for a smooth World cup include:
Fifa, football's governing body, found that the ticketing and policing at the match were unsatisfactory. And there are worries that the French authorities could make similar mistakes during the World Cup. Ticketing is the main concern. With only 20% of tickets for each game available to supporters of both sides there are fears that fans will be locked out and vent their frustration publicly. Those who buy on the black market may ending up standing among opposition supporters. "There are 32,000 members of the England supporters club but we only have between three and 4,000 tickets for each game," says Steve Double, of the English Football Association. "We have made representations to Fifa and there is talk of an extra 150,000 tickets across all group-stage games." Fans must travel hundred of miles Ticket shortages were also a problem at England's last World Cup in Italy in 1990, but Mr Double makes the point that France is much more accessible. Another concern is that the Cup's first round groups are not rooted to a certain area, as was the case in Italy. England's three qualifying games are spread throughout the country and the prospect of fans having to travel hundreds of kilometres between matches is another headache for the authorities.
Alison Pilling, international officer of the Football Supporters Association in England, says the group cannot afford to set up the fan embassies which have been a valuable source of independent advice to supporters at previous tournaments. "They were widely acknowledged as a great success but we have had no luck in getting funding this time. It's a shame," she said. |
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02 Jun 98 | Hooligans
26 Feb 98 | UK
27 Feb 98 | Hooligans
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