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Andy Morrison
Fresh ideas |
    
Just read this on soccernet.com - thought folks might be interested......
Scotland boosted by rivals' woes
Austria and Switzerland's Euro 2008 bid is in danger of collapse. UEFA's senior inspector Israeli Jacob Erel is due in Vienna next week after launching a probe into allegations that Sturm Graz fans aimed Nazi salutes at Maccabi Haifa players this week.
Top UEFA policy-maker Erel is the director responsible for the smooth running of all competitions, including the Champions League and the European Championships, and he was shocked last night to learn of Israeli TV pictures showing chants of 'Heil Hitler' and 'Auschwitz', apparently coming from Graz fans.
As a key member of the bid inspection team which begins the first leg of a month-long tour in Switzerland and Austria on Monday, ending in Ireland and Scotland next month, Erel's intervention could be the final straw for an Alpine bid which had been the favourite until recent, disturbing events.
With the bidding war hotting up ahead of December's Executive Committee recommendation and a potential Ģ400million bounty coming into view for the victors, Austria and its Swiss partners are reeling after the distasteful scenes in Sofia - hard on the heels of last month's Rapid Vienna-Arsenal friendly being abandoned amid neo-Nazi violence.
Wednesday night's Champions League qualifier was moved to Bulgaria because of the tensions in the Middle East and Graz officials were quick to pin the blame on local elements among the attendance.
Austrian police attache Markus Koppel, in Sofia as an official co-ordinator, insisted: 'It was not our fans - never. The Graz fans were shocked as they clearly detest Nazi glorification.'
However, Israeli TV reporters following Haifa are adamant that travelling Sturm Graz fans were responsible - adding that in each of the last two seasons serious diplomatic incidents have flared-up following tension around matches between Austrian and Israeli national and club sides.
Last night, Erel told Soccernet: 'I was not aware this had taken place and I will need to see the reports from the referee and the UEFA observer concerning the match.
'Clearly, this is something we do not want to see. But, as I am a member of the inspection team, I cannot comment until I have delved into this matter in more detail.'
Austrian officials have claimed in bid promotions that the Alpine Republic was the 'safe' option for 2008, 'free from football violence'.
Scots-Irish bid chiefs stayed out of the crossfire last night, although efforts to ensure no trouble occurs here continue apace.
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Total Posts: 4 | Joined Sep. 2001 | Posted on: 12:39 pm on Aug. 16, 2002 | IP
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tommyt
Something to say |
this is terrible
euro 2008 is one thing but the taunting of israelis and pro nazi stuuf that is allegedly being chanted by a minority of austrian fans is really despicable, ive heard nothing of the like since the english were at their most rabid.
on an enitirely unrelated point i see we are trying to fix up an u21 game with israel.
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Total Posts: 77 | Joined Oct. 2001 | Posted on: 12:17 am on Aug. 17, 2002 | IP
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Big Mick
GET A LIFE!!! |
According to BBC Radio Scotland yesterday afternoon, there had been outbreaks of rioting at Saturdays match involving FC Basle. It would appear as if this anti-social behaviour is now commonplace in Austria and Switzerland, which will, obviously, be detrimental to their bid.
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There are 3 types of people in life - Scots, people who would like to be Scots and people with no ambition at all !
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Total Posts: 578 | Joined Sep. 2001 | Posted on: 9:57 am on Aug. 19, 2002 | IP
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marco
Opinionated Wind Bag |
Extract from James Traitor
FOOTBALL: CELTIC FEAR AFTER NAZI BASEL RIOT
CELTIC have asked the British Embassy in Switzerland for advice on how to keep their fans safe when they travel to Basel next week.
The Swiss club were targeted by a neo-Nazi group at the weekend and police in Basel suspect more trouble when Celtic's fans arrive.
The Parkhead club will have 1000 supporters in the St Jakob Park next Wednesday and are "deeply anxious" their people will get caught in the middle of another riot.
The neo-Nazi group went on the rampage in Basel after Celtic's opponents in the Champions League qualifier had lost a league match 3-2 to bottom club Lucerne.
More than 200 fans, many wearing Celtic's colours, charged police after the match which saw two Basel players sent off.
For almost three hours rioters smashed windows, set ticket offices on fire and destroyed tram stops.
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd and 15 policeman were injured along with a number of bystanders.
The local police say a number of rioters were wearing Celtic tops even though the neo- Nazi group is believed to be based in Austria.
They are hell-bent on destroying the joint Swiss-Austrian bid to host the European Championship finals in 2008.
The riot in Switzerland comes just a month after violence forced a friendly between Arsenal and Rapid Vienna to be abandoned, leaving Austrian government officials deeply embarrassed.
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"Football without fans is nothing"
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Total Posts: 175 | Joined Jan. 2002 | Posted on: 10:18 am on Aug. 20, 2002 | IP
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othmar
Fresh ideas |
just to let you know - and iīm by far not a fan of sturm graz, my favorite club is rapid vienna -
the nazi taunts in sofia were done by right wing cska "fans", the same which did monkey screams at german black player ASAMOAH on wednesday.
the game in sofia was attended by 30 something sturm graz fans, no hooligans, nazis or whatever....
itīs typical for israels newspapers writing about the goings on, without checking what happened there.
austrians are always the nazis (even in a player interview 2 years ago, the player wouldnt like to come to the nazi country austria - donīt know in what kind of state his brain is, or in which time he lives, fortunately the 40īs are over....), and that from a country and people which kills children every day..... (in the year 2002)
the rapid-arsenal game was another thing. there was a riot, but not between fan groups (the londoners were wellcome guests and comforted, even with free beer and food....), it was between police and a group of fans. too long a story what really happened, in the end there were no injuries at all, 7 supporters were banned from rapid games and by the way, this was the first time for 10 years or so , there were troubles at all at a game.
england has got the euro, although their supporters not really behave in the best of ways. germany has got world cup 2006, every week there are hooligan actions in the german leagues..... and so on.
depending on that the next euro should be given to the moon, there never had been any hooligan attacks yet.
anyway- i think for some reasons (political) ireland-scotland do have best chances for getting it, and i will be there to watch and enjoy the games as well.
okay, thatīs that, donīt believe everything thatīs written in a newspaper, and donīt believe anything thatīs written in an israeli newspaper about austria.
cheers.
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come on you boys in green (rapid vienna, ofcourse)
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Total Posts: 1 | Joined Aug. 2002 | Posted on: 7:20 am on Aug. 23, 2002 | IP
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William Wallace
GET A LIFE!!! |
"depending on that the next euro should be given to the moon, there never had been any hooligan attacks yet."
Nor here. For a very long time at least. If Austria and Switzerland get Euro 2008 after the hooliganism which has gone on I will lose any confidence which I have in UEFA, which isnae very much incidentally. Just about everything is pointing to Scotland and Ireland in my opinion, barring perhaps transport infrastructure and minor accomodation problems which can be sorted out. If Euro 2008 is held in Austria and Switzerland it'll be for the wrong reasons- UEFA politics.
(Edited by William Wallace at 7:40 pm on Aug. 23, 2002)
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Scotland Forever
http://www.get.to/scotlandthebrave
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Total Posts: 934 | Joined Jan. 2002 | Posted on: 6:30 pm on Aug. 23, 2002 | IP
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tommyt
Something to say |
othmar
welcome to the board, you speak as someone who has known TA hospitality I think.
we too know what it is like to be misrepresented in the press so I apreciate your worries and we will accord a degree of scepticism to future reports of this kind.
that said you must agree that the regular recurrence of violence within your bid countires does you harm - i would be interested to know why you think we are favourite for political reasons - most of us back here think your big advantage is your proximity to FIFA HQ.
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Total Posts: 77 | Joined Oct. 2001 | Posted on: 10:07 pm on Aug. 23, 2002 | IP
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Tartan Army Casualty
GET A LIFE!!! |
From Soccernet.
Looks like more trouble for the Swiss
- NEWS
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
UEFA to investigate trouble at Basel Euro tie
BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - UEFA are set to investigate crowd trouble during FC Basel's 2-0 win over Spartak Moscow on Tuesday in their opening Champions League match, European soccer's governing body has said.
Referee Claus Bo-Larsen had to use an umbrella to protect himself from missiles thrown from the St Jakob Park crowd at halftime and the group B game was temporarily suspended when smoke from two flares covered the pitch and stopped play.
'The report from match officials will be considered when the UEFA control and disciplinary board next sits and they will decide what action to take,' UEFA said.
A similar incident occurred at FC Basel's stadium in this year's European under-21 championship when missiles were thrown at halftime during Switzerland's semi-final against France.
'If this kind of incident is repeated there is a possibility of a further fine or a ban from the use of the stadium,' UEFA added.
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O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, consider Phlebus, who was once handsome and tall as you.
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Total Posts: 1250 | Joined Sep. 2001 | Posted on: 8:27 pm on Sep. 18, 2002 | IP
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amsterdam scot
Talks too much |
Funny thing about the most recent Basle story is that a Swiss news website is blaming it on the Russian supporters and their drinking of too much vodka travelling down to the match - me thinks this is one of the craziest excuses ever
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Total Posts: 150 | Joined Oct. 2001 | Posted on: 10:21 am on Sep. 19, 2002 | IP
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