Off Topic Politics Thread

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Liverpool fans were involved in an incident which killed 39 people and was at a time when English fans were by far the worst behaved in Europe.

Again, it's nothing to do with hooliganism. Any recent examples of the UK banning foreign fans from attending matches here?
The closest thing I can think of is after covid restrictions were lifted, Celtic and Rangers continued to ban away fans from Old Firm derbies, up until late 2023 I think. But that was on the clubs themselves rather than police advice.
 
I am not sure if there have been any other European ties where there has been a political angle in UK. I could imagine this being thr case with teams from.the Balkans or maybe Greece / Turkey/Armenia.

As I said before, the actions of Israel are having implications in European countries. This is just an example.
 
I didn't disagree with you. Sadly the genocidal actions of their country has put their people in danger.

I disagree that it can be business as usual though

I just don't think we should be bowing down to threats of violence like this and it sets a worrying precedent while sending out a poor message.

As IOAG said ultimately I think appeasement is playing a big part here unfortunately. You can't just cancel things and ban people if they might be at risk of violence, that's what police and security services are for ultimately.

The question about whether they should be competing is a reasonable one but ultimately a different discussion and not relevant to the decision here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ImpSaint
I was wondering if this was the same Israeli team whose fans were involved in football violence in Europe earlier this season?

I seem to recall reading an article in When Saturday Comes which was about one club which had a notorious following. Israel is one of the countries I believe that still have a hooligan issue.

They are known as being one of the worst group of ultras around but there are many of those and there's no way they would ban Ajax or Roma fans who are also pretty dangerous at times!

Starmer has jumped right in though like the fool he is. If his interjection reverses this decision and there are then massive full scale riots he will get absolutely hammered! A day after saying that a spying scandal was a matter for the CPS and not government.........he wades into this in the reverse position!
 
The closest thing I can think of is after covid restrictions were lifted, Celtic and Rangers continued to ban away fans from Old Firm derbies, up until late 2023 I think. But that was on the clubs themselves rather than police advice.
Luton banned away fans for a while after the infamous Millwall.riot in 1985. In 2002/03 Millwall banned supporters of Wolves, Forest and Pompey from.attending. And way back in the mists of time, 1975, Manchester United fans were banned from.Liverpool.
 
This just sets such a dangerous precedent going forwards. I cannot believe West Midlands Police wouldn't be able to handle 1000-1500 Israeli away fans.
I don't think they are worried about the 1000-1500 Israeli fans. Its the hordes of coaches spurred on by Owen Jones and his lot to attend that is more likely to be the problem.
 
This pretty much sums it up.

I take it that IOAG would be happy with the ruckus if the Maccabi fans behaved this way in Chandler's Ford ?

A ban is not vindictive. It is just common sense that will save everyone a lot of bother. A bet there were a few in here who were ok with Liverpool being banned in the late 1980s.

Is this a Guardian revisionism or was it found out that the pre organising of a so called Jew Hunt by Muslim residents of Amsterdam was not true? Pretty sure a lot of the images we saw on TV were actually attacks on the Maccabi fans and not the other way round.

Yes I'm sure there was a fair amount of dodgy chanting but thats what happens at every match day and in this country seemingly every Saturday in London dodgy chants are fine as well.

So was it discovered it was the Maccabi fans at fault last year?
 
  • Like
Reactions: It'sOnlyAGame
Liverpool fans were involved in an incident which killed 39 people and was at a time when English fans were by far the worst behaved in Europe. It was also 40 years ago

Again, it's nothing to do with hooliganism. Any recent examples of the UK banning foreign fans from attending matches here?
Leeds - Galatasary?
 
This one of a number of articles about the violence in Amsterdam when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax, of course it was going to go off. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30p1jmzjrzo bit more in depth https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/11/what-happened-amsterdam-israeli-football-fans

There's no condoning either faction for the provocation and violence that followed. It would take a huge police operation to allow the visiting 'fans' to attend with every chance that there would be clashes. Those that are loudly protesting the ban would be those loudly protesting the cost of policing the attendance.
 
Last edited:
This one of a number of articles about the violence in Amsterdam when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax, of course it was going to go off. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30p1jmzjrzo bit more in depth https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/11/what-happened-amsterdam-israeli-football-fans

There's no condoning either faction for the provocation and violence that followed. It would take a huge police operation to allow the visiting to attend with every chance that there would be clashes. Those that are loudly protesting the ban would be those loudly protesting the cost of policing the attendance.

Huge police operations are required constantly for football matches here as well as other things like protests etc. maybe we should never play at Fratton Park again.

I certainly would have no problem with money being spent on protecting foreign football fans
 
Good shout. Fairly different circumstances though in that Leeds fans had been killed by Galatasary fans just a week before.

Like I say this is nothing to do with hooliganism.

Indeed. It is about British "authorities" saying they can't stop British residents attacking foreigners, which is a bit of a wow moment in the context of our own domestic political arguments!
 
Indeed. It is about British "authorities" saying they can't stop British residents attacking foreigners, which is a bit of a wow moment in the context of our own domestic political arguments!

That's exactly what it is mate. It's a huge embarrassment imo.

And I'm willing to bet if it was another group at risk the people defending it absolutely wouldn't be.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Le Tissier's Laces
Times is reporting that the delayed local elections of this year..........might be delayed another year. lol. There's no hiding they are playing the game here and just constantly feeding into the reform narrative:

"Elections to seven councils covering more than five million people could be delayed for a second year amid fears that Reform gains would stop Labour’s plans to overhaul local government.
Ministers are considering accepting private pleas from Tory leaders of seven county councils to cancel their elections this year."

and free re_mo_ve Pa_yw_all for anyone that didn't know about it :) Just post the pa_yw_all blocked address in the top and voila:

https://archive.ph/kBE5o#selection-1567.0-1571.129
 
Thumwood's attempts to vilify Maccabi are laughable. Why even mention Beitar Jerusalem unless it's an attempt to connect them all by association?

"One of the Israeli clubs is affiliated with the more extreme Zionists in Israel."



"According to the Guardian, Maccabi fans targeted Muslims during a match in Amsterdam in November 2024. "
Thumwood

As usual, Thumwood (or the Guardian) is selective in reporting what actually happened in Amsterdam.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78dzr432x7o

In another BBC report

Rachid O, 26, who was given 10 weeks in jail, was found to have taken part in a WhatsApp chat group called Buurthuis2, on which he referred to intended victims as "cowardly" Jews who he would never again get the chance to attack.

More than 900 people were in the group and the court said the chat had been used to pass on information to "commit violence against people of Jewish descent and/or supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv".

Umutcan A, 24, was also found to have kicked one of the victims several times while taking part in an attack with other men and then kicked another fan on the ground. CCTV footage had shown him attacking several Maccabi fans, as well as grabbing one fan by the throat and seizing his football scarf.

He had written in messaging groups about a "Jew hunt" but told the trial he did not harbour hatred towards Jews.
 
Presume this is the ‘Ceasefire Now’ style protestors (fair enough) who now there is a ceasefire are finding it harder to disguise the ‘I just don’t like Israel’ which is the actual reality.

Which if you really drill down into it, well…

By the way, comparing it to the Russian ban - I can’t bear Bibi, I think he’s awful, and the Israeli response to October 7th was excessive. But when Israel unprovoked invades another sovereign nation, maybe then make that comparison.
 
  • Like
Reactions: It'sOnlyAGame
Presume this is the ‘Ceasefire Now’ style protestors (fair enough) who now there is a ceasefire are finding it harder to disguise the ‘I just don’t like Israel’ which is the actual reality.

Which if you really drill down into it, well…

By the way, comparing it to the Russian ban - I can’t bear Bibi, I think he’s awful, and the Israeli response to October 7th was excessive. But when Israel unprovoked invaded another sovereign nation, maybe then make that comparison.
The whole "I don't like Israel" is probably an extension of "I don't like the west" and "I don't like capitalism" and "I don't like Tories" anyway though!