Post by mcf86 on Jan 28, 2011 12:15:20 GMT
By Nick Chapman 'The Sun.'
Try putting aside any pre-conceived opinions of the tabloid newspaper, i found this report quite disturbing.
FOLLOWING West Ham to Birmingham on Wednesday night was like stepping into a violent episode of Life on Mars.
The night started with the carrot of a Wembley cup final.
But it ended with the sticks of Midlands police officers bringing mayhem and bitter resentment that destroyed a special occasion.
Not since I was a 20-year-old following West Ham around a country gripped by the evil of football hooliganism in the late 70s and early 80s have I witnessed such archaic and barbaric policing of a docile crowd. At around 6.15pm, a Birmingham policeman walked into the centre of The Crown pub where I was chatting with friends and announced we should drink up immediately as we were about to be 'escorted to the stadium for our own protection'.
I was in a group comprising a mid-50s antiques dealer and his broker son, an NHS manager, a healthcare official, a systems manager, a recruitment manager and numerous other professionals.
We were herded outside where dozens of police were ready to 'protect' us to St Andrew's two miles away.
Around a dozen police linked arms, facing the fans, and set off walking backwards away from the pub. Their colleagues, pleasantly at first, encouraged us to set off slowly after them.
But things soon turned sour. Police forced us to walk at a crawl. Any attempt to reach even normal walking pace was greeted with threats and a shove.
After stopping off at The Dragon pub to 'protect' another large gathering of West Ham fans, we set off again at a snail's pace, the group now several hundred strong.
It was soon evident that, despite being dragged out of the pub 90 minutes from kick-off, we would NOT be allowed to see that kick-off.
Fans who had quietly obeyed every instruction began raising their voices, demanding answers — and to be treated with respect.
Our protest — loud but peaceful — prompted another extraordinary reaction from police.
Officers were ordered to draw their batons. Kids at the front, too young to see the warning signs, were hit indiscriminately when they refused to stay quiet.
Fans tried to surge forward to confront their attackers-in-uniform. The police responded with violence. Tempers soon frayed again when dozens of riot police, with shields, batons and helmets, suddenly ran out of streets all around us and sprinted to the head of our group.
Without warning we were forcibly stopped. Ten minutes to kick-off, no stadium in sight, been walking for 80 minutes and now being pushed back by riot police.
A sergeant raised his megaphone and screamed: "Use all force necessary to retain control."
People tried to run for cover. But they had nowhere to run and just had to stand and take the legalised bullying. Finally, at 7.55pm, we arrived at the stadium.
In one final show of 'strength', the riot police decided to form a human barricade between us and the turnstiles. "We won't let you in," one told me, "until you calm down."
At the end, as Birmingham celebrated their deserved win, West Ham fans began filing out to begin the long journey home. No police escort this time. No concern for our 'protection'.
We were confronted by a huge gang of local yobs who sprayed us with Mace, pelted us with missiles and repeatedly charged.
And what of the riot police?
They were standing around in small groups having a social chat.
I usually take my 16-year-old son with me to see West Ham wherever I go. Thank God I decided not to subject him to the brutal world of 1970s Birmingham police control.
Try putting aside any pre-conceived opinions of the tabloid newspaper, i found this report quite disturbing.
FOLLOWING West Ham to Birmingham on Wednesday night was like stepping into a violent episode of Life on Mars.
The night started with the carrot of a Wembley cup final.
But it ended with the sticks of Midlands police officers bringing mayhem and bitter resentment that destroyed a special occasion.
Not since I was a 20-year-old following West Ham around a country gripped by the evil of football hooliganism in the late 70s and early 80s have I witnessed such archaic and barbaric policing of a docile crowd. At around 6.15pm, a Birmingham policeman walked into the centre of The Crown pub where I was chatting with friends and announced we should drink up immediately as we were about to be 'escorted to the stadium for our own protection'.
I was in a group comprising a mid-50s antiques dealer and his broker son, an NHS manager, a healthcare official, a systems manager, a recruitment manager and numerous other professionals.
We were herded outside where dozens of police were ready to 'protect' us to St Andrew's two miles away.
Around a dozen police linked arms, facing the fans, and set off walking backwards away from the pub. Their colleagues, pleasantly at first, encouraged us to set off slowly after them.
But things soon turned sour. Police forced us to walk at a crawl. Any attempt to reach even normal walking pace was greeted with threats and a shove.
After stopping off at The Dragon pub to 'protect' another large gathering of West Ham fans, we set off again at a snail's pace, the group now several hundred strong.
It was soon evident that, despite being dragged out of the pub 90 minutes from kick-off, we would NOT be allowed to see that kick-off.
Fans who had quietly obeyed every instruction began raising their voices, demanding answers — and to be treated with respect.
Our protest — loud but peaceful — prompted another extraordinary reaction from police.
Officers were ordered to draw their batons. Kids at the front, too young to see the warning signs, were hit indiscriminately when they refused to stay quiet.
Fans tried to surge forward to confront their attackers-in-uniform. The police responded with violence. Tempers soon frayed again when dozens of riot police, with shields, batons and helmets, suddenly ran out of streets all around us and sprinted to the head of our group.
Without warning we were forcibly stopped. Ten minutes to kick-off, no stadium in sight, been walking for 80 minutes and now being pushed back by riot police.
A sergeant raised his megaphone and screamed: "Use all force necessary to retain control."
People tried to run for cover. But they had nowhere to run and just had to stand and take the legalised bullying. Finally, at 7.55pm, we arrived at the stadium.
In one final show of 'strength', the riot police decided to form a human barricade between us and the turnstiles. "We won't let you in," one told me, "until you calm down."
At the end, as Birmingham celebrated their deserved win, West Ham fans began filing out to begin the long journey home. No police escort this time. No concern for our 'protection'.
We were confronted by a huge gang of local yobs who sprayed us with Mace, pelted us with missiles and repeatedly charged.
And what of the riot police?
They were standing around in small groups having a social chat.
I usually take my 16-year-old son with me to see West Ham wherever I go. Thank God I decided not to subject him to the brutal world of 1970s Birmingham police control.