England manager Roy Hodgson and captain Wayne Rooney have appealed for fans to support the team within the law ahead of Thursday’s Euro 2016 clash with Wales.
Chief executive Martin Glenn issued a statement on Sunday after UEFA contacted the Football Association after the widespread disorder at the Group B opening game between England and Russia, which on the field ended in a 1-1 draw.
Hodgson said: “As England manager, I’m obviously very concerned about the threat which is now hanging over us of sanctions that could be imposed upon the England team. We’ve worked very hard to get here, and we really desperately want to stay in the competition. We appreciate your support at the matches of course, but I’m appealing to all of our fans to stay out of trouble and to try to make certain that these threats that are being issued are never carried out so we can attempt to do the best we can to stay in this competition by football means.”
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Russia fined
After the violence inside the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, charges relating to crowd disturbances, use of fireworks and racist behaviour were brought against the Russian Football Union (RFU), and the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) in Paris imposed a fine of 150,000 euros and a suspended disqualification of the Russian national team.
UK police view
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Football Policing, Cheshire Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: “We are very concerned about violent behaviour in France over the weekend. We know that troublemakers targeted England fans in an orchestrated way inflicting serious injuries. We also know that a small minority of England fans have let themselves down by responding with violence and anti-social behaviour.
“We are continuing to work with French police and Russian policing team to prevent further violence and support investigations to help bring offenders to justice. Additional officers from the UK have been deployed to support the French policing operation in Lens and Lille in the lead up to the next game. Officers in France and the UK are currently gathering evidence to ensure that any fans who have been involved in disorder could, where appropriate, be subject to a football banning order on their return to the UK.
“My advice to fans out in France is to keep yourselves safe and behave responsibly – do not retaliate to provocation and seek help from police if you are harassed or attacked. Help us to identify the people responsible by reporting any violence or anti-social behaviour to Crimestoppers helpline on 0800 555 111. Those who are planning attend upcoming games should consult the latest travel advice from the FCO for any updates.”
