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Hooliganism crackdown as ten are arrested ahead of Palace v Albion (From The Argus)
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Hooliganism crackdown as ten are arrested ahead of Palace v Albion
1:00pm Monday 3rd December 2012 in News By Ben James
Ten suspected football hooligans were arrested in dawn raids just hours ahead of the Palace vs Albion crunch match this weekend.
The arrests were in connection with a mass brawl between the two sets of fans in London’s King’s Cross area in November.
Officers have been praised for “snuffing out potential trouble” ahead of Saturday’s much-anticipated fixture by ensuring the alleged hooligans were in custody well before kick-off.
Liz Costa, vice chair of the Brighton and Hove Albion supporters club, said: “All I can say to the police is thank you for snuffing out any potential trouble early in the day.
“We don’t want hooligans associated with our club, they are not real football fans.
“Most people don’t even know why there is a rivalry. They fight Palace because their dads did. That’s a real problem.”
Organised brawl
The arrests were made in connection to an organised brawl in the King’s Cross area on November 10.
Albion fans were returning from the midlands having played Wolverhampton Wanderers while the Eagles had just beaten Peterborough at home.
Around a dozen supporters from each side came together at the junction of a busy road and were seen hurling glass bottles and scrapping.
Among those arrested were four men, aged 21, 23, 32 and 41 in Sussex along with others in London, aged 19, 21, 25 and 28.
When The Argus went to press last night they were still being held at a south London police station on suspicion of violent disorder.
This morning they were released on bail.
'Not real fans'
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Barnes, from the Met’s specialist crime and operations directorate, said: “These people are not genuine football fans, they are hooligans who went to King’s Cross looking to engage in violence that day.
“The MPS has worked closely with colleagues from Kent, Surrey and Sussex Police to ensure these offenders are caught and brought to justice.
“We share a firm commitment to tackle and eradicate football hooliganism and will seek football banning orders where appropriate.
“Our investigation continues, and I would urge anyone who has any information about individuals who use football as a cover to commit violence and disorder to contact police on 101.”
Saturday’s match, which Albion lost 3 – 0 after playing most of the game with 10 men, passed without major incident.
Criminal damage
Chief Superintendent Adrian Roberts, from the Met, said: “The behaviour of a very small proportion of fans, including a minority of Brighton fans inside the stadium causing criminal damage was disappointing.
“However, overall the match has passed off with no major incident and no reports of anybody hurt and all fans have been safely dispersed away from the stadium.
"The vast majority of fans were well behaved and we were able to prevent the minority from spoiling the day for the rest.”
Albion took a number of their own stewards to help keep control inside the ground at the request of the supporters club.
Ms Costa said: “It all went extremely well – apart from the result.”
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Comments(13)
Sevensisters
says...
3:27pm Mon 3 Dec 12
aat99
says...
4:05pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Alan G Skinner
says...
4:25pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Sevensisters wrote:How could they tell they were vandalised, it was probably existing damage. While I deplore "Hooliganism", I don't buy in to this concept that if you are a "Hooligan", you cannot also be a "real fan". While the authorities may find this an inconvenient stance, because they like to band around the term Hooligan to describe football supporters in general, in most cases it's the case. Most "Hooligans" are REAL supporters of their football club and it's too easy to say these people
My husband and son went to the game on Saturday. Most of the away fans toilets were vandalised on the day. These were not usual Albion fans but the ones that only go to a game to specifically cause trouble. It gives real Albion fans a bad name.
are just thugs. I also think it's a little hysterical to declare the one or two who don't behave in the manor expected, represents all Brighton fans. This is a minor incident which for Political reasons has been blown out of all proportion. I wonder how many arrests take place every Friday and Saturday night in Croydon, why isn’t that hitting the headlines??
richardavery
says...
4:48pm Mon 3 Dec 12
wietraurig
says...
5:04pm Mon 3 Dec 12
It doesn't really matter whether they are "real fans" or "hooligans" or both -- they're still idiots. I was there; I agree that Selhurst Park is not a nice stadium, but the Albion fans definitely left it in a worse state than they found it. This will come back to haunt us in March, when the Palace fans will want to return the favour at the Amex (which is a nice stadium, as it happens). It wasn't only the stadium -- Albion fans were damaging cars (breaking wing mirrors etc ), presumably belonging to locals who might have had nothing to do with Palace, in the residential streets as they were escorted back to Norwood Junction by the Met.
Tiger Shark
says...
7:59pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Baldseagull
says...
8:39pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Tiger Shark wrote:Not exactly an impartial view that, is it.
Yes, it's always the same with that minority of so called pathetic "Brighton fans", picking on easy targets, damage to toilets, cars and property, picking fights on and abusing small kids and old people not looking for trouble, then when they meet some big boys, they go very quiet and plead for mercy. Football factory wannabes embarrassing the club, utterly pathetic, yet you see it in Brighton City centre every Friday and Saturday night.
The truth is that some Albion supporters, frustrated by the result, vandalised some property inside and outside the stadium.
No child or OAP was abused and no big boys came along to shut them up.
However, last season, a number of Palace supporters hid out in Polegate till half hour before kick off, then on their way to the Stadium attacked a train full of ordinary supporters, including OAP's and children, perhaps you are confusing the two events.
Tiger Shark
says...
9:25pm Mon 3 Dec 12
With regards to picking on ordinary fans I wasn't talking about Saturday, I've seen them do it many times home and away, so no I'm not confusing anything and yes, they disappear when bigger fish appear like all chav pretenders.
Baldseagull
says...
10:15pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Tiger Shark wrote:Not a right, or even an excuse but who hasn't broken something in a fit of pique, especially as a younger person. It is not acceptable but it is not the same as bullying children and elderly folk as you were suggesting.
So frustration at a football result gives them the right to damage property does it, it's okay by you?
With regards to picking on ordinary fans I wasn't talking about Saturday, I've seen them do it many times home and away, so no I'm not confusing anything and yes, they disappear when bigger fish appear like all chav pretenders.
I've not seen the sort of behaviour you describe from any of our supporters, ever, not even in the Eightys. I've seen some bad behaviour for sure, but not anyone attacking a child or an old man. If you see this sort of thing regularly I suggest you keep better company.
Baldseagull
says...
10:25pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Tiger Shark wrote:Not a right, or even an excuse but who hasn't broken something in a fit of pique, especially as a younger person. It is not acceptable but it is not the same as bullying children and elderly folk as you were suggesting.
So frustration at a football result gives them the right to damage property does it, it's okay by you?
With regards to picking on ordinary fans I wasn't talking about Saturday, I've seen them do it many times home and away, so no I'm not confusing anything and yes, they disappear when bigger fish appear like all chav pretenders.
I've not seen the sort of behaviour you describe from any of our supporters, ever, not even in the Eightys. I've seen some bad behaviour for sure, but not anyone attacking a child or an old man. If you see this sort of thing regularly I suggest you keep better company.
Neillo
says...
10:19am Tue 4 Dec 12
Anyway, it's been put down to a section of fans who decided to create some ' Glory Holes ' for potential future use.
Tiger Shark
says...
8:52pm Tue 4 Dec 12
Baldseagull wrote:No it's not acceptable to damage property but you still seem to be making excuses for it. Age? Spur of the moment anger? If we all couldn't controls our violent urges it would be outright anarchy! And you patrol every area around a football ground at every Brighton match home and away do you? So you claim to see everything that is going on? Sadly you're out of touch and seem pretty deluded, the words, glasses, rose, tinted spring to mind.
Tiger Shark wrote:Not a right, or even an excuse but who hasn't broken something in a fit of pique, especially as a younger person. It is not acceptable but it is not the same as bullying children and elderly folk as you were suggesting.
So frustration at a football result gives them the right to damage property does it, it's okay by you?
With regards to picking on ordinary fans I wasn't talking about Saturday, I've seen them do it many times home and away, so no I'm not confusing anything and yes, they disappear when bigger fish appear like all chav pretenders.
I've not seen the sort of behaviour you describe from any of our supporters, ever, not even in the Eightys. I've seen some bad behaviour for sure, but not anyone attacking a child or an old man. If you see this sort of thing regularly I suggest you keep better company.
Plantpot says...
1:06pm Mon 3 Dec 12