Euro 2012 ban for Hampshire hooligans (From Daily Echo)
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Euro 2012 ban for Hampshire hooligans
9:51am Friday 25th May 2012 in Fareham
By Jenny Makin, Crime Reporter
Police dealing with football fans in Hampshire
HAND over your passports or you will be arrested.
That’s the demand being made to Hampshire’s football hooligans this summer ahead of Euro 2012.
Letters have been posted to 84 thugs living in the county and the Isle of Wight who have all caused, or been involved in, football related violence in recent years.
The letter reminds them they will not be able to travel to Poland and the Ukraine for next month’s tournament – and orders them to hand in their passports to police from next Monday.
Those receiving the letters have all received football banning orders in court when they have appeared on charges relating to disorder at matches.
They include dozens of Saints fans who got involved in trouble as tempers flared following Saints’ home defeat against south coast rivals Portsmouth in February 2010.
Violent scenes marred the end of the game, which Saints lost 4-1, and centred on the Freeborn Garage with coins and a chair thrown from the crowd as the two sides goaded each other outside St Mary’s stadium.
A total of 25 fans found themselves hauled before the courts, with a further eight also charged with post match violence away from the ground.
All those convicted were handed Football Banning Orders – and it’s under those terms that they are barred from attending any football match in England and Wales.
They can last between three and ten years and breaching the terms of the order can land you in prison for up to six months.
However the legislation also extends to any fixtures abroad and means those with an FBO are banned from travelling to watch England compete in tournaments.
Letters were posted in recent days to those living in the county, warning them they must hand over their passports at a local police station.
However, there can be special measures applied for in a court for anyone planning a holiday in another part of the world at the same time as the contest.
Across the country there are some 3,000 people who currently have the orders.
Hampshire police say there will not be any specialist police operations at Southampton Airport to try and prevent football thugs flying out as there are no flights leaving the city to the host countries.
Superintendent Rick Burrows, football commander, said: “The Euro 2012 championship in Poland and Ukraine will be a hugely enjoyable footballing event and all true fans should be encouraged to go and enjoy it.
“For that small minority who wish to engage in football related disorder, be warned that the Polish and Ukraine police will be robust.
“Anyone with a football banning order is not able to travel there and a local operation by Hampshire Constabulary will ensure that does not happen.”
Nick Hawkins, Hampshire’s chief prosecutor and the national lead on football violence, said: “Anyone subject to a Football Banning Order (FBO) who fails to surrender their passport whether or not they attempt to travel to Poland or Ukraine is likely to be arrested and prosecuted.
“From May 29, people who have been issued with an FBO will have to surrender their passport.
This means that all individuals subject to a ban will receive a letter telling them to report to a designated police station to surrender their passport. Unlike previous tournaments those banned will not have to report on match days as surrender of their passport is now deemed sufficient.”
Comments(19)
ToastyTea
says...
10:19am Fri 25 May 12
mmmmm
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10:23am Fri 25 May 12
Lone Ranger.
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10:35am Fri 25 May 12
mmmmm wrote:Just curious ......... So why have they FBO's against them if they are not thigs?
Not all people with FBOs are thugs! And most of them wouldn't have any intention of travelling aborad for these matches anyway. The paperwork involved is massive when the Police are so stretched.
hythe knights
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10:37am Fri 25 May 12
mmmmm
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10:42am Fri 25 May 12
Velleity
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11:07am Fri 25 May 12
mmmmm wrote:In which case, your mate has shown a total lack of respect for the law - there are signs at every point of access to the pitch that explain the law. Your pal clearly has no respect for the law, so should be prevented from breaking it abroad as well as here.
I know someone who is passionate about the game and ran onto the pitch and got a three year ban.
I'm passionate about football. However, I've never invaded the pitch regardless of how high my emotions have run, so I have no FBO.
Seems like your friend has been banned for being, well, pretty stupid.
arthur dalyrimple
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11:09am Fri 25 May 12
hythe knights wrote:250,000 in so far this year by the treasonous snakes in power.
Funny how they can stop people leaving whilst letting in millions of illegals.
mmmmm
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11:12am Fri 25 May 12
Velleity wrote:Not a thug then??
mmmmm wrote:In which case, your mate has shown a total lack of respect for the law - there are signs at every point of access to the pitch that explain the law. Your pal clearly has no respect for the law, so should be prevented from breaking it abroad as well as here.
I know someone who is passionate about the game and ran onto the pitch and got a three year ban.
I'm passionate about football. However, I've never invaded the pitch regardless of how high my emotions have run, so I have no FBO.
Seems like your friend has been banned for being, well, pretty stupid.
ohmywell
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11:14am Fri 25 May 12
Shoong
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11:20am Fri 25 May 12
ohmywell wrote:That's not how the hooligan mind works.
Name and Shame I say!!!
They'd take it as a badge of honour.
userds5050
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12:04pm Fri 25 May 12
Over the Edge
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1:03pm Fri 25 May 12
Velleity wrote:Why are you quoting respect for the law, entering the field of play when the game in motion is a breach of stadia regulations, its not illegal, the club pursue this through the courts and FBO are handed down.
mmmmm wrote:In which case, your mate has shown a total lack of respect for the law - there are signs at every point of access to the pitch that explain the law. Your pal clearly has no respect for the law, so should be prevented from breaking it abroad as well as here.
I know someone who is passionate about the game and ran onto the pitch and got a three year ban.
I'm passionate about football. However, I've never invaded the pitch regardless of how high my emotions have run, so I have no FBO.
Seems like your friend has been banned for being, well, pretty stupid.
Lone Ranger.
says...
2:01pm Fri 25 May 12
Over the Edge wrote:I think that you will find that "Entering the field of play" during the game is an "Arrestable Offence"
Velleity wrote:Why are you quoting respect for the law, entering the field of play when the game in motion is a breach of stadia regulations, its not illegal, the club pursue this through the courts and FBO are handed down.
mmmmm wrote:In which case, your mate has shown a total lack of respect for the law - there are signs at every point of access to the pitch that explain the law. Your pal clearly has no respect for the law, so should be prevented from breaking it abroad as well as here.
I know someone who is passionate about the game and ran onto the pitch and got a three year ban.
I'm passionate about football. However, I've never invaded the pitch regardless of how high my emotions have run, so I have no FBO.
Seems like your friend has been banned for being, well, pretty stupid.
noall69
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3:00pm Fri 25 May 12
Condor Man
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3:08pm Fri 25 May 12
bigal007
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3:50pm Fri 25 May 12
Gainer T Gopher
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6:57pm Fri 25 May 12
noall69 wrote:obviously a "good job" that doesn't need the use of English in the written form.....
ohmywell... i have an fbo an i have a passport so before you slag people off think about what you say yes my fbo was very much justified i have a good job an all that but was still sent to prison an that was the frist time i had been in trouble
Fatty x Ford Worker
says...
8:25pm Fri 25 May 12
Shoong says...
10:04am Fri 25 May 12