Jul 20
With the constant bombarding of negative life events around the World – Brexit, Nice, Brussels, Istanbul, Turkey etc – what a refreshing change in seeing a politician who merely wanted to celebrate his own Country’s Euro success. Watch Mário Centeno turning up to the Eurozone meeting in Brussels. See: http://www.newstalk.com/WATCH:-Portugals-finance-minister-shows-up-to-Eurozone-meeting-in-football-scarf
Ultrasound: (Ed.defn. is a diagnostic imaging technique used to see internal body structures). In the same way, I provide my own insight and commentary on this Weekend’s trip to Marseille to watch and support the England National Team in the European Championship – Euro 2016.
I was inundated by goodwill messages seeking confirmation of my safety, and that of my ten-year old Son, after the final whistle of the England versus Russia fixture. It did make me think, I wonder what the media is broadcasting back in ‘Blighty’ and to what extent was it accurate and consistent with our experiences. I wrote for reassurance and clarity on my Facebook page:
“Home safe and sound my Friends – thanks for all goodwill messages. Of course, I’d protect my Son at all costs. Not seen a single incident involving England fans myself. Sure there will have been some. But any incident we witnessed was caused by Russian supporters. Not trying to dismiss moronic behaviour of mindless few, but expect as usual it’s the World’s media that like to sensationalise and blame the English always as ‘agent provocateurs’. At least based on yesterday in Marseille the police’s official statement was more balanced IMHO.”
This statement from National Police Chiefs’ Lead for Football Policing, Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Roberts said:
“England supporters had been in Marseille yesterday without issue. At around midnight, there was a short confrontation where a group of approximately 70 local youths approached a pub where England fans had congregated. This was quickly dealt with by French police and one English supporter was arrested. We are aware of no further incidents overnight.”
The trip will be remembered as one of the most enjoyable breaks in my life. An emotional, fun and quality time in the most part for Father and Son in their first international football adventure. This Video highlights just a few snippets of our ‘holiday fun’.
All day long, on match day, we had ‘a ball’ (excuse the pun!). Infact, the whole trip was in the same vein. Fans from clubs throughout England chatted and entertained one another in a convivial fashion. I could recall numerous, but as a minimum we spoke to fans from Burnley, Tottenham, Oldham, QPR, Leeds, WBA, Everton etc. All fans from England played their part in creating a fantastic atmosphere and spirit. Of course, there was booze and ‘boisterous’ behaviour (as the radio pundits call it) but remove the singing and socialising and the roots of this great Game are erased.
Such a tone was common to the inter-action also. All day we shook the hands of Russians looking forward to the evening’s game. Plenty of smiles and banter and England’s nominated fan even beat the Russian counterpart in a game of mini ‘ping pong’ in Marseille Harbour. An early handshake with one ‘rival’, when meeting again at the gates to Stade Vélodrome, resulted in a giant, man-hug so common is that friendship and bond of football.
We attended the Fan Park which was good to pass the time and keep the Lad entertained. All sponsors showed good preparation to creating brand exposure, whilst soliciting personal contact details to add to the CRM no doubt, and future direct marketing campaigns. No small budgets will have been incurred for such extravagance. Turkish Airlines, Hisense and FDJ (La Ola) hit the target, Hyundai let down by incompetence by its ‘team’ manning the stand.
In preparation for Euro2016, our Police, confiscated the passports of nearly 1,400 people as part of the ‘Passport Surrender’ operation. That is equivalent to 97 per cent of the individuals currently subject to a banning order who hold a passport in the UK. Would the presence of these ‘hardcore’ of alleged hooligans have inflamed the situation? Possibly. Would they have shifted more ‘blame’ to the English fans. Unlikely. Of course, there’s a minority, that will always let down the true supporters and instigate criminal actions, but make no mistake from our experience the confrontation and protagonists were clearly, the Russians and French.
French Ultras took a focus on attacking English fans. But the Russians took hooliganism to a different level. I suspect the latter’s antics would be the foundation of a saleable commercial computer game – and movie that would make Green Street and Football Factory look like a children’s programme.
Supposedly these fans that started disruption in the Stadium, after the release of flares and bangers, were well drilled, of ‘one vision’, combative, ‘tooled up’ and conducting activities with military precision. They have taken football hooliganism to a level never before witnessed in my opinion. Thank goodness rather than the traditional, scapegoating towards England supporters – enquiries after investigation appear to remove the instant reflex and blame and appreciate the biggest finger should point East.
150 Russian football hooligans were behind the violence, French prosecutors have said. Brice Robin, Chief Prosecutor in Marseille, says: “most of the 35 people injured in the four days of fighting were English, four of whom are in serious condition.” Furthermore, he commented: “These people were well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action. These are extremely well trained people.”
On a separate note, hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the security at the Stadium was inadequate. We could have taken terrorist materials and weapons into that Ground without difficulty as precautions and staff were found lacking. Whilst, incredibly concerning, it gives added credence to the work that we are commencing at ACROBAT | FCSM with Safety Awareness which are gurus in sport venue security having planned and implemented successful campaigns at: Olympics, World Cups and Commonwealth Games.
Robin, continues: “Our spotters in Marseille saw them putting in gum shields and putting on martial arts gloves and bandanas before attacking England fans in the Port. We know some were carrying knives because one England fan was stabbed. They wore a kind of uniform – all in black t-shirts and clothing and most carried bum bags, possibly to conceal weapons.”
Football hooliganism is a different ‘Game’ now. It has gone up a Level. I wouldn’t be surprised if an English ‘Hooligan Hit Squad’ forms and seeks to climb that League table of Ultras show of strength.
But the final comment must again be taken from my social media. I posted: “Now this is what really happened in Marseille #Euro2016 Quality Dad and Lad time #priceless.”
It remains and always will be in my work and play – the beautiful game. Fan engagement will continue its momentum. But the landscape for confrontation may have changed for good, hence my titling this post, ‘Ultrasound’.
The Day started that way and was remembered in the same vein. My Students, and no doubt other traditionalists, ribbed me that it was at this England versus Turkey match, that I eventually succumbed to a ‘half and half’ scarf. I make no apologies, it just seemed right to buy for my Son – with his 50:50 heritage from these two great countries.
I use this same analogy to reflect on the ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’, the two halves from this Weekend’s excursion.
Firstly, the Good. How good is it to not have to make that blasted long trip to the ‘Smoke’ just to watch my team, domestic or National? I know this in particular from an infectious stream of losses by County although the last trip resulted in Play Off Promotion. I really applaud the England idea of traveling the Country to give all supporters a fair chance. Long may it continue!
Personally, despite one hiccup at the X-Gate, I found the stewarding to be superb and a credit to Mancunians once again. This comment spreads the whole route from the Metro in the City’s Centre to Manchester City FC’s seats. The atmosphere was great, both sets of supporters a credit, caught up with old friends (Brits and Turks!) and we won. England that is!
The Bad, daft drunken fans who I confronted because of continuous swearing in front of children. Also, others making inappropriate comments about Turks, who again I put in place as I’m proudly married into that Country. And for my first time being an opinionated pundit, the last bad was Raheem Sterling. Is that loss of confidence or just a waste of time being included in the Squad?
I returned home also to learn of abuse from a Twitter profile saying he witnessed an ISIS flag in the Turkish end. Another mistaken identity and the Twitterosphere shot that same person ‘down in flames’!
Really looking forward to the next trip to watch ENG-ER-LAND with the Lad. Euro 2016 here we come!
I’m not in any position of being ‘in the know’ but decided to share this post as I thoroughly enjoyed working with this Club, FC United of Manchester. I brought some funding its way – and when on the Stockport County Co-operative Board, collaborated on joint fundraising. I have to say in my time (including taking Robin Pye to Turkey as a Speaker at our FC Sports Marketing Conference) I found, the Club, Robin and the out-going General Manager, Andy Walsh, to be sound examples that many a club, could, and in my view, should, look to replicate in several ways.
Recent descriptions of alleged turmoil have surrounded this article. Robin has recently written an authoritative response, and I felt on balance, this blog could air it to add to the debate.
“Daniel Taylor’s article about FC United of Manchester (How the togetherness turned into disharmony) gives a comprehensive overview of the internal disputes and debates the club has been having since the move into our new ground at Broadhurst Park.
His article includes an accurate presentation of various criticisms about decisions the club has made in recent months and I agree with some of those criticisms.
However, his article is fundamentally flawed because it does not get to grips at all with the fact that our club is a democratically-run fans-owned club and does not ask the obvious questions about how the democratic processes in the club are being used to make decisions about how the club is run.
Taylor describes FC United as ‘a club built on togetherness and shared principles’ which has ‘been undermined by the kind of infighting that could never have seemed imaginable’. Actually, it is a club built on democracy and as Taylor will understand when he looks at other democratic organisations and societies, that means that disagreements (infighting, he calls it) will occur.
Taylor describes John-Paul O’Neill, as ‘the man credited with setting up the club in 2005’. Again, this suggests that he hasn’t fully understood what FC United is. O’Neill, was of course, an early proponent of a fans-owned club for Manchester United fans, he may even be the earliest proponent of it, but our club is a fans-owned club. It can’t be set up by one person. It can only be set up by lots of people.
Because he does not ask any questions about actual votes that have been taken in actual meetings, Taylor resorts to reporting that ‘an internet poll shows 84% of supporters … have no confidence in the board appointing the right person as Walsh’s successor’. I am presuming this is an internet poll hosted by a website where many people post abusive messages about other people who cannot find the time or the motivation to respond. It indicates nothing.
Not asking any questions about democratic decisions that the club’s owner-members have taken does not stop Taylor from quoting ‘club founder’ O’Neill who says, “There is a fundamental deficit in democracy, transparency and accountability between the club and its members.” What exactly this deficit is, Taylor cannot explain. Neither is there any indication throughout the article about the outcome of the votes we have taken on many of the issues he discusses. So if there is a deficit in democracy and transparency, Taylor’s journalism does not address it.
For example, in his discussion about our ill-fated ‘Code of Conduct’, Taylor writes ‘questions were asked about the reaction if the Glazers had done the same at Old Trafford’. What a shame he did not actually tell his readers that when the Code of Conduct came in for heavy criticism on our members’ forum (quite rightly, in my opinion, it was a stupid document), our democratically-elected Board members promptly withdrew it. The question I would ask is what would happen if the fans of a privately owned football ‘club’ were to oppose a proposed code of conduct on an internet forum. Unfortunately, the answer is of course, very likely, nothing.
Keen to include all the issues that have spilled out into our members’ forum over the last few months, Taylor tells us that ‘the people running the club have recommended Peter Thwaites, the voluntary HR official who puts contracts in place, inserts a confidentiality agreement for the new programme editor’. The ‘people running the club’? This can only mean our democratically-elected Board members or the club employees they hold to account. These are club employees who are in the main also members and, therefore, owners of the club.
And right there is the real dilemma that Peter was asked to help the club to address. What rules do we need so that people who are employed by the club don’t abuse the additional power and knowledge that gives them when they participate in democratic debates within the club? One approach to this could be the approach taken by trade unions, local authorities and the civil service in this country – if you are paid by the club you keep quiet in democratic discussions about the club.
And there is the clue as to why Andy Walsh has resigned. Is he about to get involved in our debates? What does he want to say? That is the story that was sitting under Taylor’s nose the whole time.”
A well written piece – which you can make your own judgments on. I have to admit to a wry smile at the appointment of David Boyle in the article and irony. Would be a shame if the turmoil isn’t resolved swiftly and I say that even though FCUM is a rival of my “County”.
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