Invasion and deportation - a diary of Euro 2000
At Euro 2000, the travelling army of St George was once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The potential for trouble filled acres of media space in the run up to the tournament, and during the event all an England fan had to do was kick an empty beer can along a street to make front page news. The reality was that any trouble was relatively minor, with the worst incident little more than plastic chairs at 50 paces involving both English and German fans. In fact, far worse incidents involved Turkish fans, but such events were either played down or blamed on the English anyway. Even so, hundreds of English fans were rounded up, beaten, and imprisoned in conditions you wouldn't keep zoo animals, and deprived of their basic rights. And we're not talking hundreds of hooligans either, because most of those who fell victim to the "zero tolerance" policy of the Belgian riot police were just ordinary England fans out there for the football not trouble. But who stands up for the England fans? Where is the protection demanded by Her Majesty's government for all British citizens abroad? Forget the tabloids and what you may have heard or seen elsewhere. Jamie Mash and Matthew Bazell are two England fans who followed England right through the qualifying stages to the finals themselves. Here's their story. Not another hooligan book. But the reality of what it's like to follow England over land and sea.
Click here to buy Invasion and deportation from Amazon.co.uk
Click here to buy Invasion and deportation from Amazon.co.uk