Election Notes 2024: E-Day -19

Told you.

I predicted that this would happen, although I didn’t expect it to happen quite so quickly. The media, never having been entirely at one with the idea of English football fans being granted the benefit of the doubt, have been quick to denounce them as hooligans.

So just now, and ahead of Englands first match in the tournament against Serbia, the Daily Telegraph invited us to; ‘Watch: England fans involved in violent clashes with Serbians ahead of Euro 2024 opener…A group of fans attacked others with bottles before throwing chairs and toppling tables. One set of fans then chased the other group down the street as riot police followed’

Not to make light of it or anything but exactly how violent were these violent clashes. I mean, if rival sets of fans attacked each other with bottles, you’d expect numerous injuries to have resulted, some serious, yes?

Er, no, because as this report of the same incident in The Guardian makes clear, ‘One man, said to be from Birmingham, was left with heavy wounds to his head as he was caught up in the fighting. He was seen receiving medical attention including heavy bandaging to the head. A plain clothes police officer was also treated for a head wound.’

But the clashes were violent because The Daily Mirror has said they were, ‘England vs Serbia: Fans clash in violent bar fight as chairs thrown and police intervene’

But buried deep in the article was this less than helpful eyewitness account, “It was nasty but small fight. But it ended up with a chase before the police finally calmed it.”

But for really being unhelpful in promoting the idea that being an England fan is a euphemism for being a drunken violent thug, was this article in The Metro, which dryly observed that, ‘Conflicting reports say fighting began between Albania and Serbia supporters, and that some English fans were caught up in it. It was initially reported the attack in the western city of Gelsenkirchen was carried out by English fans.

But German police at the scene said the brawl was between supporters from Serbia and Albania, according to Sky News. The UK football policing unit, which has travelled out to Germany to assist, also said only Serbian nationals have been arrested so far following the brawl.’

Its all so very confusing, not least whilst reading the articles, I couldn’t help but notice the number of similarities common to all of them.

But what isn’t confusing is that former crisp salesman turned Britains immoraliser-in-chief, Gary Hammas, will be once again be resuming his part time gig as a commentator on football, a subject in which he does at least have some expertise.