Wenger downplays hooliganism
Print Edition
HOOLIGANISM is not a problem in English football, according to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, despite a week in which trouble at West Ham United’s League Cup tie against Chelsea tarnished the game’s glossy image.
West Ham is threatening to ban 200 fans after studying video of the ugly scenes which marred its 2-1 victory at its new London Stadium home on Wednesday, a reminder of the 1970s and 1980s, when violence was commonplace in British football.
Seats and coins were thrown and stewards struggled to keep hundreds of rival fans apart in the closing stages of a tie that was broadcast live around the world.
“I don’t believe there is a hooligan problem in England. You cannot say 200 people is a general problem in the country,” Wenger told a news conference yesterday. “I’m surprised even more than being disappointed. West Ham is usually a very strong fan base, very motivated. In England we are not used to facing these problems any more.”
Wenger even advocates a return to safe standing areas at Premier League stadiums after they were phased out in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster, when 96 fans died at an FA Cup tie in 1989.
“I am in favor of the resurgence of standing behind the goals and (Wednesday’s scenes) is not a good advert to come back to standing,” he said. “Hopefully West Ham will get rid of the problem very quickly.”
West Ham’s move out of its Upton Park ground to the London 2012 Olympic Stadium has been plagued by problems, with crowd trouble at most of its home games so far.
Stewarding, the design of the stadium and a lack of a strong police presence have all been blamed and the club has already banned 23 supporters.
Despite the problems on Wednesday which eventually saw riot police move in to quell the trouble, the operation involving 900 stewards was deemed effective. “The response of our safety and security teams was measured, fast and effective and we commend the stewarding,” a spokesman for London Stadium partners West Ham, E20 Stadium LLP and London Stadium 185, said.
“It must be stressed that the vast majority of West Ham and visiting supporters behaved impeccably.”
One MP has called for West Ham to play games behind closed doors should the club fail to come up with an effective plan to eradicate the incidents.
Wenger, whose Arsenal side visits West Ham in December, said that would be the wrong reaction. “There is nothing more dire than that. I prefer not to play than to play games behind closed doors,” he said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
