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'Segregation broke down'. One of the things I hate is fans pointing out opposition supporters and demanding their removal
There is a coherent argument that segregation made hooliganism worse. It made us and them more delineated
And people could shout, say things and act without fear of being pulled up. You think, say, Munich songs would have happened in mixed areas?
Or, in the modern area, Hillsborough stuff? Segregation was introduced after two WHU-MUFC games in May and September 1967
It was a knee-jerk reaction to two admittedly violent games. United swamped Upton Park when they won league, East End hit back in Sept
But the fences emboldened plenty and attempts to keep fans apart created battle lines
The policy of segregation failed. If anything, it made things worse. Apart from a few, hate driven games (Celtic-Rangers, for example)
There would be less trouble if the fans mixed. The experience of other sports suggests this, too
Sadly, there's no going back. Middle-class people point out other middle-class people as away fans and demand they're thrown out
The mentality is ingrained. And I use middle-class to emphasise that the cryarsrers want people who are no threat ejected
Especially in modern, seated grounds, good stewarding and policing should mean people should be able to support their team in any section
Ticketing, stewarding and policing policy start from a standpoint of fear and hostility towards fans. We need to reassess
We won't, like. But the Emirates - which would have had empty seats tonight - could have embraced Cologne fans. Most just want fun
There are ways of policing public evens: is it a party or a riot. After 67, football been condemned as a riot. More often, it's a party
The game, the police, the stewards need to recognise this
BTW, in the 80s, at height of hooliganism, I went in many home ends. Notably West Ham. Sussed immediately but they saw we were behaving
Great conversation and a beer with the people after. This, at height of ICF. In stands at OT in 1990, season-ticket holders shouted down
The few who were giving Hillsborough abuse. They actually told police that we were wrong parties and shouldn't be thrown out
Been in more than a dozen home ends over the worst years of hooliganism and, for the most part, people were decent
Final point: people can cherry pick violence at various sports and claim it undermines points. But any big public event (concerts etc)
Have the capacity for trouble and it can erupt (racecourse violence for example). Football is not intrinsically violent.
And, approached the right way, is less of a threat to public safety than most mass events
But football hooliganism is one of the longstanding folk devils of our times.
