`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.
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
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