Rioting (again) in Madrid
Bolton complain over Spain police
Bolton Wanderers have made an official complaint about "overzealous and disproportionate" treatment of their supporters by Spanish police.
The club contacted European football's governing body Uefa after the 0-0 (1) at Atletico Madrid in the Uefa Cup.
Bolton said there were "a number of assaults and unprovoked baton charges before, during, and after the game". About 17 fans were injured.
British police also criticised Spanish officers' "(2)" tactics.
James Kirk, a Bolton fan from Fife, said: "We came out of the stadium and just as we came down loads of police with (3) and batons (4) back just where we'd come from.
"They were battering people to the ground - it was absolutely brutal and (5). I've been to Spain many, many times but I tell you I don't want to go again."
Another fan said: "I've been all over the country watching Bolton and the police in Spain (6) like animals. I have never seen anything like it."
Club chairman Phil Gartside said he would take the issue to the "highest level" to get an explanation.
Mr Gartside said: "I have great sympathy for any of our supporters who have been injured by what is clearly an overreaction by the Spanish police.
"Bolton Wanderers Football Club will be pursuing the matter at the highest level and seeking an explanation from the Spanish authorities."
Junior officers
Ch Supt Dave Lea, of GMP, said the problems started when police baton charged hundreds of Madrid fans out of the stadium.
"That incident has probably set the tone for the policing of the whole match and unfortunately the Madrid police have a reputation for not taking dissent very well," he said.
The police chief said a number of sporadic incidents followed which resulted in police being "very (2)" with the Bolton fans, and he (7) senior officers for the problems.
"They didn't have enough control over their junior officers who were far too quick to use their batons rather than talking to the fans who would comply with their instructions.
"Lessons need to be learned and I will make sure that my observations will be captured in a full report for the Uefa security investigation that I know is going to be forthcoming," he added.
Next stage
The result of the match at the Vicente Calderon stadium meant Bolton won the tie 1-0 on aggregate to reach the last-16 stage of the competition.
Before their Uefa Cup match against Red Star Belgrade in December, Bolton fans were detained at a hotel in the Serbian capital.
Local police acted amid security fears after trouble involving Red Star supporters the previous weekend.
Last April, a number of Tottenham fans were injured at their Uefa Cup tie in Seville in violent clashes with Spanish riot police.
You will find that some of the words are missing. You find them below. Check their meanings and then put them into the article in the correct form. You can check your answers by looking at the original article (click on the link at the end of the text).
- a draw
- a shield
- to blame
- appalling
- to rush
- heavy-handed
- to behave
Comments
Atlético de Madrid and Bolton draw 0-0 in the field and they are equal out the field. I mean that they are the same in football fighting, sporty hating, injuries and hitting out the field. It’s the same in every field, every city, and every country. Newspapers report every week about different kind of the argument by reason for football. It’s very sad that sport was a violent clash amid young people with heavy-handed, assaults, shields, battering and so on.
It’s possible that the Spanish police used excessive force, but in Spain and in other countries, I think, the public authority has suspicion of veracity, but it can be changed. It means, it’s true apart from if it proves the opposite. The title of this article is: “Bolton & Atletico face Uefa probe”. In any case, are the loads of the police necessary to play football? It doesn’t seem that the police enjoy battering people in the field of football. In my opinion footballers, in general, don’t look for riots.
The words that are missing are: 1 a draw
2 heavy-handed
3 a shield
4 rushed
5 appalling
6 to behave
7 to blame
See you.
You certainly are digging deep into the blog. Great stuff!
This post reminds me of another one regarding football hooliganism. Read my "debate" with a fellow Scot who lives in Madrid. Let me know what you think.
http://madteachergraham3.blogspot.com.es/2007/12/football-violence-debate.html
Atlético de Madrid and Bolton drew 0-0 on the field and they are equal off the field. I mean that they are the same in football, fighting, sport-related hatred, injuries and hitting off the field. It’s the same in every field, every city, and every country. Every week newspapers report different stories about violence due to football. It’s very sad that sport is a violent clash among young people with heavy-handedness, assaults, shields, battering and so on.
...
shields
behaved
blamed
http://madteachergraham3.blogspot.com.es/2007/12/football-violence-debate.html
Could you gieve me its place?
Copy and paste the link. It does work.