GOT World Exclusive - video footage of the Lille police incident - CONTAINS BAD LANGUAGE

[Pat's Van]

fkn nobheads lobbing bottles might've just given them enough of an excuse to weasel the way out of this now

idiots

 

[Frodsham Blue]

Let's hope we don't go to Italy cos that would be a problem (caused by the local police and fans) waiting to happen.

For anybody who went to the Fiorentina game in Florence, there are many similarities between that game and Lille.
Both, for me, the poorest European aways in recent years, due to heavy handed policing and poor local organisation regarding transport, information and entry to the ground.

 

[paulashcroftefc]

fkn nobheads lobbing bottles might've just given them enough of an excuse to weasel the way out of this now

idiots

No the reason why bottles got thrown was because of the night before and they way the plain clothed police stormed the square. Not a single bit of trouble until this happened.

 

[p-fcn]

I think:
The Evertonians behaviour was good and not worse than in Nuremberg, for example.
I have been in Lille Wed -Fr and can not say anything bad on the Blues supporters.
Wed evening: we got attacked
Thursday, Grand Place: I was just buying beer at supermarket when the attack happened and didn't see it.
Everything went it normal way when I was back (place crowded with peaceful drinking Blues).
To me this is all overrated, since 99% of this visit was good fun with no trouble.
Not nice for those who got hit or sprayed or even hurt, but it shows only a little bit of a great two days.

 

[Pat's Van]

No the reason why bottles got thrown was because of the night before and they way the plain clothed police stormed the sqaure. Not a single bit of trouble until this happened.

not sure you understand my point mate

what I'm saying is if they hadn't have thrown bottles, then the police/authorities would have no evidence of everton fans indulging in hooligan style behaviour, but now they have, it doesn't matter why they threw bottles because the police can spin it whatever way they want

 

[paulashcroftefc]

not sure you understand my point mate

what I'm saying is if they hadn't have thrown bottles, then the police/authorities would have no evidence of everton fans indulging in hooligan style behaviour, but now they have, it doesn't matter why they threw bottles because the police can spin it whatever way they want

Fair do's , the french have ready said that they had no injuries and nobody on their side was hurt. Think this might just blow over apart from our fans getting hurt.

 

[Jen]

I was in the Square with my Dad when it all kicked off, and I was impressed with the restraint shown by most Evertonians. My Dad was really annoyed because they gassed us and there were kids there (he's in a few of the videos having a go at the camera man), and it took a lot to hold him back, but he calmed eventually.

There was a comment earlier on, saying that the Police didn't want to help Vern get an ambulance. This is incorrect. I took Vern through the Police and I got them to call an Ambulance, and once they saw he was actually injured, and it wasn't a ploy to "get behind enemy lines", they got the Ambulance to him as soon as they could. The shop owner, where we sat him waiting, also helped provide cleansing and pads for his wound. There was one cop in particular that did all the help, and he was sound, and I thank him for helping us.

The Police were incredibly heavy handed though. I got searched twice going into the stadium, all within two yards of each search! Ridiculous. Dad had the gas cannister base confiscated at the ground unfortunately.

So so pleased Vern is home safe and enjoying a bevvy or two. He deserves it.

 

[Jen]

Just a little update on Vernon, the nickname for the guy below:

View attachment 4852

He literally wouldn't hurt a fly and is one of the most sensible and nicest people you'll ever meet. We were just standing by the fountain when the whole under cover police/tear gas situation went off. Out of nowhere Vernon was just kneeling down holding his head with his hands covered in blood, he was hit in the head with a rubber bullet. You'd wish that the bullet would have hit you instead if you'd ever met him. We took him over to the police showing them the bloody wound on his head, an old man and what they did, asking for help, for an ambulance to take him to hospital. They just stood there behind their shields, didn't blink an eye lid with batons in hand ready (ready as if he was about to attack them), they just weren't bothered at all and couldn't have cared less.

Anyway ... After missing the game because of being in hospital, below is a picture of him yesterday afternoon when we arrived in London. High spirits as always, begging people not to make a fuss, not letting anything get him down and looking forward to Burnley away tomorrow ...

View attachment 4851

Good lad Vern - glad you're home safe x

 

[park end boy 1878]

hope he enjoyed the win best wishers

 

[sammy h]

From start to finish the whole trip was ridiculously unorganised. It was a mess. I just don't think they were expecting the number we took over. From the police brutality, the handling of the metro to the Eurostar fiasco. Hope I never have to set foot there again.

 

[mrb85]

In retrospect I wonder if the only reason we were given double the normal number of tickets for this game was to provide the police with the perfect opportunity to try out their 'crowd control' methods?

 

[BoysInBlue]

not sure you understand my point mate

what I'm saying is if they hadn't have thrown bottles, then the police/authorities would have no evidence of everton fans indulging in hooligan style behaviour, but now they have, it doesn't matter why they threw bottles because the police can spin it whatever way they want

This is the problem mate. 3 throwing bottles is as bad as 30 or 300, in the way the media can twist it all without any context or explanation.

The fact that it was only 3 out of 8-10000 in that Square has - ridiculously - been deemed irrelevant.

 

[Pabbers]

In retrospect I wonder if the only reason we were given double the normal number of tickets for this game was to provide the police with the perfect opportunity to try out their 'crowd control' methods?

I though the exact same thing.

 

[Polish_Blue_Army]

All cops are bastards, that's it

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

In retrospect I wonder if the only reason we were given double the normal number of tickets for this game was to provide the police with the perfect opportunity to try out their 'crowd control' methods?

No, it was cos we requested them and they can't sell out their ground, once apparent that loads had bought tickets in their sections then it may be the case that they didn't get cancelled because they then saw it as an opportunity to test out their crowd control.
a
It would be interesting to see if they deemed it a success like ?

From their perspective

2 incidents, which would be deemed minor in the whole scheme of things, riot squad took control (in the way that they take control in France) to prevent the snatch squad being attacked & the snatch squad got the man they were trying to get (innocence irrelevant).

City Centre didn't get smashed to bits, Grand Place left a bit of a mess but cleaned up as soon as the fans left.

Right wing activist locked up for Football Violence (wonder if info was put out there as bait because they knew he wouldn't be able to resist ?)


From The Fans Perspective

The organisation at the Metro.... the way that a very high percentage of fans will travel to the stadium was incredibly poor at both ends, in fact 'the organisation' consisted of putting a line of riot police at the Metro turnstiles and allowing bottlenecks to form.

Stadium Entry..... No need whatsoever for repeated searches within yards of each other, Female Stewards required & if Children are to be searched then maybe a less menacing person than a Riot Cop or Grock to do it, Disabled Access apparently (not certain what it was that went wrong there tbh.)




It seems that The French way of Policing fans is to try to be as menacing as possible in any situations where the fans are in numbers, after passing about 60 groups of about 10-12 riot police on the route from the Metro to the Stadium I must admit that as I was dreading getting outside again, they let the Home fans get away (still common practice in a lot of places) & I couldn't help wondering if the CRP were getting ready to 'make it worth putting their gear on' as they were holding us back long after the rest of the stadium had emptied.



It will not surprise me in the slightest if The French deem the whole thing as a success.

From a Fans Perspective though the actions of the French Police in the things that they were required to do were the things that made the day less enjoyable.



I was back home when folk were held back from the Eurostar so I can only wonder at what they were doing that for ? Looks like 'just for the sake of it' tbh & 1 last Crowd Control Exercise.


Something that they do want to think about when they are all patting each other on the backs in a Wine Bar and clinking glasses, is that they had less than 10 that reacted to the snatch squad by lobbing bottles, because we weren't there to destroy Lille and have a dust up, if similar numbers of an International team roll into Town.... or quite possible DOUBLE the amount then there's a good chance that the place will get taken to pieces if they wish to Police it via Provocation.

Could you imagine if England got Drawn in Lille ? 25k turning up with around 3k or 4k quite happy to 'get involved,' one word will suffice for the inevitable result.... CARNAGE.