Liverpool FC Forum

[Reg]

Actions talk louder than UEFA´s lies.


Football match security standards to be improved across Europe


Published in M2 PressWIRE on Monday, 25 June 2007

A fresh drive to enhance security arrangements at European football matches was welcomed today by the Home Office.

A new European partnership of governments, police and UEFA has been formed to further improve security arrangements at international club and country football matches in Europe.

Amid concerns about wide variations in safety and security arrangements at international football matches, UEFA - European football's governing body - has committed to help develop a range of measures designed to minimise security risks at football matches.

The Home Office Review of events involving English football supporters last season in Rome (AS Roma v Manchester United) and Seville (Sevilla v Tottenham Hotspur) - and subsequent events in Athens (Liverpool v AC Milan) - gave added impetus to this pan-European partnership which includes UEFA.

Under the new pan-European partnership, experts from the UK and other European countries will work closely together with UEFA to:

* Ensure that all European football stadia possess integrated crowd management and safety and security arrangements, in part to avoid over-reliance on the use of riot police to undertake crowd management functions;

* Provide updated and comprehensive core safety and security standards for international football events;

* Develop pan-European training for stadium safety officers, stewards and police; and

* Ensure that safety and security preparations and arrangements for international football tournaments including high profile European club matches are subject to early and ongoing multi-national expert evaluation.

In the wake of the incidents in Rome and Seville, involving Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur supporters respectively, Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker announced a review of events at the matches and sought eye witness reports from English police delegations, consular staff, football clubs concerned, Football Association security advisers and the supporters involved. The review also took account of events at the Champions League Final in Athens.

The review raised concerns about crowd management tactics, wide variations in safety and security arrangements in stadia across the continent and supporter behaviour. The review, which was discussed with UEFA, stresses the need for consistent safety and security standards across Europe.

Vernon Coaker said:

"I am delighted that UEFA has agreed to work in partnership with safety and security experts from the UK and other European countries to help ensure football supporters can attend matches in Europe in a safe and secure environment. This is great news for English fans and for all football supporters across Europe.

"I am grateful to Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspurs and their supporters for the eye witness accounts of crowd disturbances last season which informed the Home Office Review to UEFA and gave added impetus to this new European partnership.

"Supporters have a crucial role to play. English fans have achieved a great deal since the dark days of mass hooliganism but they must build on their improved image and reputation by taking further responsibility. Supporters must play their part in reducing the risks."

UEFA President Michel Platini said:

"Good stadium infrastructures, sophisticated safety and security measures, the de-escalation of the style of policing and better supporter behaviour are all part of a drive to make European football venues safer and more secure.

"The ongoing work of the pan-European governmental and police football experts and UEFA is crucial in ensuring continued improvement of safety standards."

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Home Office Review of Events in Rome and Seville is available on the Home Office website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/HOfootball-review2007.pdf


Release date: 25 Jun 2007

[Reg]

++ Everytime this guy opens his mouth........ ++

'English fans have been unfairly targeted'

English football fans have sometimes been "unfairly targeted" by foreign police prejudiced by the past, according to Uefa's director of communications William Gaillard.

European football's governing body has welcomed a Government proposal to increase stewarding and limit the use of riot police in matches on the Continent.

And Gaillard said: "I understand the feelings of English fans and it's true that sometimes they are probably unfairly targeted because of the past and because of lingering memories of what happened in the 1980s."

However, the Uefa spokesman has stressed that the drinking culture among many English supporters had also contributed to recent crowd trouble in European games.

He added: "It is also true that such patterns of behaviour of English fans abroad cause problems that are different from the problems caused by foreign fans.

"Drinking, for example, is often absent in southern Europe."

Gaillard continued: "In southern Europe, you have another type of violence, linked often to extremist political movements or racist groups, which are really serious problems.

"But some southern European police forces are just not used to fans that have been drinking a bit too much. It's a different way to celebrate, if you like."

The Home Office review also included recommendations to develop pan-European training for stadium safety officers, stewards and police.

It was prompted after problems involving Manchester United fans in Lens and Rome, Tottenham supporters in Seville and Liverpool fans at the Champions League final in Athens.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.