MARSEILLE, France — Flying from Lille to Marseille on Friday, there was an uncertainty about what to expect when the plane landed in the south of France. There had already been trouble in the streets the night before, and with more fans set to arrive, peace was an optimistic outlook.
The bar of expectation was set fairly low when two England fans sitting a few rows in front on the plane exchanged punches moments after we had touched the ground. They were a handful as soon as they took their seats, attempting to drink a litre of vodka they had purchased from Duty Free.
A couple of hours later at a brasserie called the Cours Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves, 150 metres behind the Queen Victoria pub, there was a rush of England fans followed by a burst of smoke. Unclear if it was a flare, or something on fire we sat, like the other baffled tourists, and waited for the situation to unfold. Then we were given our first…and thankfully, last taste of tear gas.
Confusion reigned, with one England fan, eyes bright red from the effects of the gas, making it clear that this was brought on by Three Lions supporters.
He described how some had been throwing bottles into the air outside the Queen Victoria before then throwing them towards the police. France’s Police Nationale don’t wait to make arrests en masse. They always, and this comes from years of watching Ligue 1 fixtures, strike first; it’s a case of clear the area, act later.
Another supporter later recalled how he was spitting up blood due to the gas he had swallowed, but again he admitted, “it was OUR fault,”. He blamed the mob mentality and was grateful for the help of locals who advised him to move to a more peaceful location on the Cours Julien, a vibrant, but much quieter area of the city.
On Friday evening, with most bars in Marseille blatantly disregarding the law prohibiting TVs outside their establishments, English fans mixed happily with French to watch the opening game against Romania, many even starting an “allez Les Bleus” chant. There was no police presence, there were no problems and it highlighted how things could be.
Things changed on Saturday; as more fans descended to the Vieux Port, English numbers increased and the Russians began to arrive.
At the port, around 14:30, as we tried to find somewhere to watch Albania v Switzerland, thousands of England fans had taken up the main square. It was loud, but peaceful. Balls being kicked in the air, one girl berated because she fell over a bollard. Mean, yes; violent, no.
The game began and then came reports that more gas had gone off, though it seemed we were far enough away to avoid any problems. Austrian fans posed for pictures. Russian fans – one wearing a retro CCCP jersey – mingled with English. All was fine…until the final whistle.
As we left the bar, around 100 Russians flashed down Rue Breteuil, heading for the port. They were chanting, menacing. They were obviously not fans.
Travelling to the game was uneventful. People were clearly drunk and disorderly, but no more than at any other football game. Once outside the impressive Stade Vélodrome, the security checks left much to be desired. Bag checks were poor, I wasn’t patted down, and there was no attempt by anyone to ask for or check identification.
England fans took up 75 percent of the stadium and they were in fine voice. Everything went well for 90 mins. Then the atmosphere turned sour.
Russian fans in the ground stormed the English and people scrambled for safety. From our vantage point you could see the divide between the two groups. Not divided by the terrified volunteers, but separated by a sea of seats. Russia fans pushing forward, English fans moving back as far as they could.
Inside the stadium, unlike in Ligue 1, it is UEFA’s responsibility for security. That is why there was no Police Nationale or CRS positioned in the Vélodrome stands. The volunteers are not equipped, trained or motivated to stop an onslaught of violence. It is far too easy to blame the local authorities for the trouble, but the blame rests at the feet of UEFA – fans should have been predicted.
Metro stations near the stadium were closed without warning, in a clear failure by local organisers. The Vélodrome is not situated in the nicest part of town and veering off into the streets near Castellane is not a very good idea. More signs, coordination and help was needed.
Normality appeared to have been restored as Russian fans walked next to their English counterparts away from the stadium. But back at the Vieux Port, the CRS vans, sirens in tow, returned.
Social media and other outlets described clashes between police, French locals, English and Russians in terms that often seemed too simple. Those three days in Marseille were caused by a toxic cocktail of stupidity, hate and violence.
On Sunday night, England fans mixed with Germans and many other nationalities in a convivial atmosphere. That is what football is all about. Unfortunately, there is still a minority that is ruining it for everyone else.
