Ex-Saints boss in touchline brawl (From Daily Echo)
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Ex-Saints boss in touchline brawl
7:56pm Tuesday 16th October 2012 in Sport By Echo Reporter
Steve Wigley
FORMER Saints manager Steve Wigley was involved in a tunnel brawl as ugly scenes marred England’s Under-21 side qualifying for Euro 2013 tonight.
A 90th minute England winner against Serbia sparked a series of scuffles between players and staff on both sides as missiles were thrown onto the field.
Assistant manager Wigley was involved in a fight near the tunnel and England’s Danny Rose was sent off, complaining he had been racially abused.
The 2-0 aggregate victory takes England Under-21s through to an unprecedented fourth successive major tournament but the night will be remembered not for the football but for the minutes after the final whistle.
England, who led 1-0 after the home leg, had been on the brink of progressing as the game seemed destined for a 0-0 draw.
When Serbia committed goalkeeper Branimir Aleksic up the pitch for a last-ditch free-kick, England broke swiftly to score the goal that wrapped up the tie through Connor Wickham.
Then, as the England players celebrated, a series of objects were thrown on the field as the crowd expressed their frustration.
The final whistle was blown almost immediately but Serbia and England players then clashed, before coaches and even officials on both sides became involved.
A series of monkey chants were heard around the stadium as Rose kicked the ball into the crowd and was shown a red card.
The Football Association has already reported the latest incident to UEFA.
A statement from the FA read: "The FA condemns both the scenes of racism and the confrontation at the final whistle during which time our players and staff were under extreme provocation.
"The FA has reported a number of incidents of racism to UEFA following the fixture. These were seemingly aimed at a number of England black players by the crowd. The matter is now with UEFA."
England head coach Stuart Pearce said: "One or two of the technical staff from the opposition, and I don't include their manager in that, didn't cover themselves in glory on the pitch at the end.
"Punches, headbutts were thrown, and God knows what else. We will let the authorities deal with this at UEFA."
Pearce had spoken before the game of his confidence that the issue of racism would not raise itself.
A match between the two countries at the 2007 Under-21 European Championship in Holland was marred when England defender Nedum Onuoha was racially abused.
Serbia were fined £16,000 by European governing body UEFA after that incident, but Pearce had said he thought the game in the Balkan country had moved on since then.
Former England captain Paul Ince, working as a pundit on ESPN, believes tougher action is necessary this time.
Ince, whose son Thomas had been playing in the match, said: "It is disgraceful. There is no excuse for the scenes we have just seen.
"There were punches being thrown. If it was me they would be kicked out for the next five tournaments, European, World Cups."
The under-21 side's captain Jordan Henderson was also proud of the reaction of his team-mates under the circumstances.
Henderson said: "The players coped with the abuse really well. It's not nice. They kept their heads and were professional. The players completely condemn what happened. There were also stones, coins and seats getting thrown at us."
Wigley was in charge of Saints for just five months – August to December 2004 – in the season the club was relegated from the Premier League.
He succeeded Paul Sturrock but won just one of his 14 league games in charge, although that victory was against arch rivals Pompey, before being relieved of his duties.
Wigley was replaced by Harry Redknapp.
Comments(27)
IronLady2010
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12:30am Wed 17 Oct 12
TheJoiners
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1:43am Wed 17 Oct 12
SO50 Saint
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8:18am Wed 17 Oct 12
teebee59
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8:36am Wed 17 Oct 12
Linesman
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8:57am Wed 17 Oct 12
IronLady2010 wrote:There was no football being played when Thatcher sent in the police, with identification numbers removed, to batter the striking miners into submission.
No surprise, where there is football there is violence.
jhmatshrewton
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10:10am Wed 17 Oct 12
IronLady2010 wrote:Quite agree, I gave up attending football matches after 36 years, every single match I attended ended up with violent scenes during & after the games.... and that was just Subbuteo matches!!
No surprise, where there is football there is violence.
Silly ill-informed blinkered woman
Confucious
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10:13am Wed 17 Oct 12
St Retford wrote:Violence is never a satisfactory answer. I remember a bloke decided to "wipe the floor with my face" in a pub - but I had the last laugh. As I predicted beforehand he wasn't be able to get into the corners very well.
I don't often advocate violence but he should have absolutely battered them. They were awful.
freefinker
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10:36am Wed 17 Oct 12
teebee59 wrote:.. at least that way the spelling and grammar are improved.
Is this the best you can do Echo copy and paste from the BBC ??????????
hedge end bob
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10:36am Wed 17 Oct 12
IronLady2010 wrote:YOU DONT LIKE FOOTBALL.
No surprise, where there is football there is violence.
YOU DONT WATCH FOOTBALL.
YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL.
SO WHY OH WHY DO YOU READ AND COMMENT ABOUT FOOTBALL????????
hedge end bob
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10:41am Wed 17 Oct 12
hedge end bob
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10:43am Wed 17 Oct 12
elvisimo
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10:47am Wed 17 Oct 12
hedge end bob wrote:appart from the capital letters - agree entirely
IronLady2010 wrote: No surprise, where there is football there is violence.YOU DONT LIKE FOOTBALL. YOU DONT WATCH FOOTBALL. YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL. SO WHY OH WHY DO YOU READ AND COMMENT ABOUT FOOTBALL????????
billythesaint
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11:01am Wed 17 Oct 12
Strasbourg Saint
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11:30am Wed 17 Oct 12
IronLady2010 wrote:So, in an important article raising an issue in which some people (Serbians) choose to single out other people (those with black skin) and abuse them because 'they are different', you single out another group of people (football supporters) and abuse them - by making a generalisation - because they are different from you (not a football fan).
No surprise, where there is football there is violence.
You should rename yourself 'IronyLady2010'.
Beer Monster
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11:37am Wed 17 Oct 12
Nobody likes us,
We dont' care!"
Brilliant.
Confucious
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11:40am Wed 17 Oct 12
Strasbourg Saint
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12:09pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Confucious wrote:That's a good point, Confucious and one I'm sure the IronyLady would be delighted to discuss.
On reflection I wonder if it's right to, carte blanche, despise all the blue people down the M27. In this day and age I think we should try and hate them individually.
sarfhamton
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12:19pm Wed 17 Oct 12
saintand266
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12:43pm Wed 17 Oct 12
arthur dalyrimple
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12:47pm Wed 17 Oct 12
rpjcheney
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1:16pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Confucious wrote:That showed him! Quality posts today, Confucious.
St Retford wrote:Violence is never a satisfactory answer. I remember a bloke decided to "wipe the floor with my face" in a pub - but I had the last laugh. As I predicted beforehand he wasn't be able to get into the corners very well.
I don't often advocate violence but he should have absolutely battered them. They were awful.
ramptonfromsouthampton
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3:04pm Wed 17 Oct 12
IronLady2010 wrote:What a ridiculously ignorant comment. Hardly surprising given the nickname you have chosen for yourself I suppose. Racist provocation was the central issue last night, and something that FIFA is yet to address properly. Your knee-jerk reactionary statement just confirms another kind of prejudice. You should be ashamed of yourself.
No surprise, where there is football there is violence.
OSPREYSAINT
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3:31pm Wed 17 Oct 12
IronLady2010 wrote:Haven't you got a more pressing engagement? i.e. doing the ironing, far more enjoyable than posting ignorant comments about a subject that you know nothing about at all. It is not called the beautiful game through it's occasional gliches. Far better for nations to duke it out on a football pitch, than blowing each other up on a battlefield don't you think?
No surprise, where there is football there is violence.
ShakeyWiffles
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4:37pm Wed 17 Oct 12
IronLady2010 wrote:Talk about a sweeping statement! I could just easily say where there are trees there is violence. Hardly the sports fault when racism rears its ugly head! You are an insult to all women that aren't small minded and quick to judge.
No surprise, where there is football there is violence.
billythesaint
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7:56pm Wed 17 Oct 12
ShakeyWiffles wrote:Has to be a bloke, no woman would embarrass herself like this. Crawl back to your missus 'iron lad.' Leave the poor attempt at winding up to the blue few. Or.....are you a lesbian? A rug-muncher? Ah, makes sense.
IronLady2010 wrote:Talk about a sweeping statement! I could just easily say where there are trees there is violence. Hardly the sports fault when racism rears its ugly head! You are an insult to all women that aren't small minded and quick to judge.
No surprise, where there is football there is violence.
holburyhalo
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8:48pm Wed 17 Oct 12
St Retford says...
12:00am Wed 17 Oct 12