6 England Fans Jailed Over Violence

Six England fans have been jailed in France following the weekend’s violence in Marseille.
Lee Phillips, 23, and Paul Jackson, 21, have been jailed for one month. Ashley Kelly, 26, has been sentenced to three months after appearing in court and Steven Cornell, 28, has been jailed for two months and given a two-year ban from France. Alexander Booth and Ian Hepworth were jailed for two months and three months respectively and banned from France for two years each after appearing in court in connection with the disorder.

French authorities have admitted that around 150 Russian football hooligans escaped arrest, and that a teenage England fan was among the six British fans that have been charged with public order offences.

England supporters were forced to flee the stands shortly after the end of the 1-1 draw between the two sides on Saturday, as Russian fans broke through a line of stewards and started attacking them inside the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

The city’s prosecutor Brice Robin described the Russians as “extremely well-trained” and “prepared for hyper-fast and hyper-violent acts”. But he said they had slipped through police surveillance and only two Russians had been arrested over a pitch invasion. “I don’t want to say they are professionals in violence but those are very well trained people,” he said.

The disorder on Saturday was the climax to three days of violence between English, Russian and French fans that left dozens injured.

Police used water cannon, tear gas, dogs and batons to control England fans at the old port in Marseille, and outside the stadium just before England kicked off their campaign. A total of 10 people, including the six British, an Austrian and three Frenchmen, were being tried.

The charges follow the arrest of 116 people related to disorder since the start of the championships. The violence was the worst seen at an international tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France.

Three people have been expelled from France and five others barred from entering the country because “of the risk they pose to public order”.
Russian fans attacked English supporters in the stands after the game had ended on Saturday night



UEFA described the behaviour of fans from both sides involved in the disturbances before and after the game with Russia as “unacceptable”. It said it would not hesitate to impose disqualification sanctions if the scenes witnessed in Marseille are repeated.

A 50-year-old England supporter in a “critical but stable” condition in hospital with severe brain injuries has been named as Andrew Bache. The Portsmouth supporter was reportedly assaulted by Russian fans armed with iron bars before the game between the two sides. A fundraising page has so far collected more than £4,000 for Mr Bache.

Meanwhile, an ultra-nationalist Russian politician has praised the country’s fans for fighting England supporters and has told them to “keep it up!” Igor Lebedev, who also sits on the Russian Football Union executive committee, said on Twitter: “I don’t see anything wrong with fans fighting.” He said the violence was “not the fans’ fault” and blamed the French police’s “inability to organise such events”.

Fans flying out to France to cheer on England, Wales or Northern Ireland this week have been warned that their journeys could be disrupted by another strike by French air traffic controllers.