18 June 1998 Edition
Sportsview: `You'll never beat the English'
Once again the spectre of football violence rears it ugly head. English football violence, to be precise. In the French city of Marseilles English `fans' went on the rampage last weekend and into Monday. They sacked bars and overturned cars during their three-day rampage. Up to 32 people were reported hurt.
The issue of racism is seldom far away during such activity involving English fans and the trouble reportedly started when English fans burned a Tunisian flag, among other incidents. The infiltration of such `fans' with extreme right-wing groups like Combat 18 and BNP is well documented. When the English go abroad, trouble or the air of trouble seem to go with them.
The mistake often made with such people is that they are automatically assumed to be working class. The opposite is usually the case. Most of these thugs are so-called respectable types. There were even members of the British crown forces among the riotors (why am I not surprised?).
The tabloid press is a lot to blame for it. That great neutral media outlet, Sky News, as usual revelled in the trouble with the word ``provoked'' used in relation to English fans, used in the early stages when referring to clashes with the dastardly Arab youths. Everything from the ticket allocation system to Tunisians flying their own flag was used to explain away the English fans' actions. As usual during any major `crisis', Sky wheeled on some of thir vast array of `experts'. First up was one Dougie Brimstone. Shaven-headed Dougie was described as an `ex-hooligan'. Then we had the equally exotically named Eric Moonman from the University of London. As Tom Humphries wrote in Monday's Irish Times: ``If a tabloid screams that a frog needs a good kicking, does not a smile break on some thin Combat 18 lips as they contemplate the summer's ugliness?''
The racist xenophobic `there'll always be an England' mentality of the English was summed up in one of Monday's papers. English fan goes into a breakfast bar: ``Speak English?'' ``Non Monsieur.'' ``Well, fuck you then.''
``They are rubbish,'' said one bystander. ``You'll never beat the English,'' another yob shouted. Indeed you won't.
An Phoblacht's team, Jamaica, failed to inspire on Sunday night, going down 3-1. The wind was well and truly taken out of our sails as the Reggae Boyz crashed to Croatia, althought they far from disgraced themselves. No room for sentiment in this tournament, however.
Championship
Laois have to be last Sunday's unlucky team. They were three points ahead of Kilkenny after 20 minutes of the second half. They failure to score in the final 14 minutes, however, showed up their inadequacies. Offaly `stole' the game from Leinster Champions Wexford with a late goal to go through for a meeting with Kilkenny in the Leinster Hurling Final.
In Ulster a sending off for Armagh seemed to give them the confidence to beat Down at Clones by 16 points to 11. In Connacht the Tribesmen of Galway proved too strong for Leitrim, beating them 1-16 to 0-5. In the hurling semi-final Antrim scored a late equalising point to earn them a controversial draw against London.
BY CIARAN HEAPHEY
The issue of racism is seldom far away during such activity involving English fans and the trouble reportedly started when English fans burned a Tunisian flag, among other incidents. The infiltration of such `fans' with extreme right-wing groups like Combat 18 and BNP is well documented. When the English go abroad, trouble or the air of trouble seem to go with them.
The mistake often made with such people is that they are automatically assumed to be working class. The opposite is usually the case. Most of these thugs are so-called respectable types. There were even members of the British crown forces among the riotors (why am I not surprised?).
The tabloid press is a lot to blame for it. That great neutral media outlet, Sky News, as usual revelled in the trouble with the word ``provoked'' used in relation to English fans, used in the early stages when referring to clashes with the dastardly Arab youths. Everything from the ticket allocation system to Tunisians flying their own flag was used to explain away the English fans' actions. As usual during any major `crisis', Sky wheeled on some of thir vast array of `experts'. First up was one Dougie Brimstone. Shaven-headed Dougie was described as an `ex-hooligan'. Then we had the equally exotically named Eric Moonman from the University of London. As Tom Humphries wrote in Monday's Irish Times: ``If a tabloid screams that a frog needs a good kicking, does not a smile break on some thin Combat 18 lips as they contemplate the summer's ugliness?''
The racist xenophobic `there'll always be an England' mentality of the English was summed up in one of Monday's papers. English fan goes into a breakfast bar: ``Speak English?'' ``Non Monsieur.'' ``Well, fuck you then.''
``They are rubbish,'' said one bystander. ``You'll never beat the English,'' another yob shouted. Indeed you won't.
An Phoblacht's team, Jamaica, failed to inspire on Sunday night, going down 3-1. The wind was well and truly taken out of our sails as the Reggae Boyz crashed to Croatia, althought they far from disgraced themselves. No room for sentiment in this tournament, however.
Championship
Laois have to be last Sunday's unlucky team. They were three points ahead of Kilkenny after 20 minutes of the second half. They failure to score in the final 14 minutes, however, showed up their inadequacies. Offaly `stole' the game from Leinster Champions Wexford with a late goal to go through for a meeting with Kilkenny in the Leinster Hurling Final.
In Ulster a sending off for Armagh seemed to give them the confidence to beat Down at Clones by 16 points to 11. In Connacht the Tribesmen of Galway proved too strong for Leitrim, beating them 1-16 to 0-5. In the hurling semi-final Antrim scored a late equalising point to earn them a controversial draw against London.
BY CIARAN HEAPHEY