Was there a need for police in riot gear..

M M Wallis | 20.01.2008 10:43 | Sheffield

pretentiousartist.com have been asked by some football fans to photograph the grate game we have been to both teams in Sheffield and watched the police watching the football fans. taking photographs here are some from the game 19 1 07 oh well don Sheffield Wed from a united fan that is gutted see you in four weeks at the lane..

Was there a need for police in riot gear..

Taking photographs here are some from the game 19 1 07 oh well done Sheffield Wed from a united fan that is gutted see you in four weeks at the lane..

M M Wallis
e-mail: worldwarfree@riseup.net
Homepage: http://pretentiousartist.com

Comments

Hide the following 14 comments

NON FOOTBALL PEOPLE NEED PROTECTING

20.01.2008 13:13

YES OF COURSE THERE WAS A NEED FOR POLICE IN RIOT GEAR AT THE LOCAL SHEFFIELD FOOTBALL DERBY.FOOTBALL FANS FROM TWO OPPOSING TEAMS FROM THE SAME CITY PLAYING EACH OTHER IS ALWAYS LIKELY TO RESULT IN VIOLENCE THATS THE NATURE OF THE GAME AND THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW IT.LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO ARE NOT FOOTBALL PEOPLE OR WHO RUN A BUSINESS CLOSE TO A FOOTBALL GROUND NEED TO FEEL PROTECTED AND SEE THAT THEIR COUNCIL TAX IS NOT ALL BEING WASTED BY LOCAL BUREAUCRATS.I FULLY SUPPORT THIS HIGH POLICE PRESENCE ON OUR STREETS AND WOULD WELCOME IT ON A 24/7 BASIS.AS A NON DRINKER AND NON FOOTBALL SUPPORTER I PERSONALLY FEEL SAFER WITH MORE POLICE ON THE STREETS AND THAT IS THE VIEW OF THE MAJORITY OF CIVILIZED PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.

auldie reekie

Obviously there was...

20.01.2008 13:23

...just like there was a need for Sheffield cops to punch a young black woman five times, cause that was "justified and proportionate".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2239584,00.html

Dixon of Dock Green

"Harmonisation" of policing

20.01.2008 13:44

Policing is in all likelihood being increased at football matches as there is currently a "public consulation" on the policing of protest in the UK. Historically protestors have faced heavier policing than football matches despite the considerably lower risk of 'public disorder', giving greater weight to the assertion that the police presence/intimidation is politically motivated.

For the government to justify heavy policing at protests it has to be seen to be a consistent policy, i.e. in any situation where there is a large gathering of people, thus these recent changes at football matches.

It all ties together

me thinks

20.01.2008 15:06

auldie reekie me thinks your a wind up and far right, in some respects i would agree.. but do ask yourself on a rain sodden Saturday night in Sheffield City Center the riot police was there till past 10 O Clock, lurking in the doorway of where i live and you know what i did not feel protected but intimidated and that is following 25 years of being political. now perhaps this was the aim of the police to intimidate people and use the cover of possible violence, at the end of the day it was limited one local pub the Hadfield was slightly trashed and a little violence, and this being over a mile from the city center, meanwhile back in the city center youth who had nothing to do with the game being harresed, doormen at pub in clubs hyped up for possible bother YES THEY WAS THERE TO PROTECT people like myself, NO BOLLOCKS the aim was to intimidate and use the cover of football to do just this and practice there presence on the streets. I neither drink and would agree we need at a community to look towards solution to the problems created by drink, but me thinks riot police is not that solution you f-ing wanker.. A image is more than words and take a look at the ones i have posted..

M M Wallis..

M M Wallis
mail e-mail: worldwarfree@riseup.net
Homepage: http://pretentiousartist.com

sheffield football hooligans

20.01.2008 17:14

i fully agree with this police presence but i don't agree with the assault on the young black woman!

speaking from experience i was caught in the middle of hooligans fighting in Sheffield before! when there was no please and this was walking from the train station at 5 o clock on a Saturday afternoon incidentally these were Sheffield united "fans" and Chelsea! there were also several people caught up in this disturbance including families and elderly people! i don't agree that we need 24/7 policing because some of us know a bit about respect and mutual harmony but there is a problem in Sheffield with hooligans and scallywags alike! if you don't think this sort of trouble exists you should probably read about the bbc (blades business crew) and when they stormed the train station with Stanley knifes to keep up there tough guy reputation! football hooligans are a major blight in todays game and its a shame this sort of thing ruins Saturday afternoons for some people!
for once i think the police would have been doing there job here.

andrew shankland

DIXON,WALLIS AND GROMIT

20.01.2008 17:49

DIXON YOU ARE CLEARLY JUST ANTI POLICE AND ANTI LAW AND ORDER FOR THE SAKE OF IT FULL STOP.WHERE AS I AM NOT.NO WALLIS I AM NOT WINDING YOU UP I BELIEVE IN EVERY WORD I WROTE.THE BEATING OF THE BLACK WOMAN UNDER ARREST WAS DISGRACEFUL AS IS THE FACT THAT NO ACTION IS TO BE TAKEN AGAINST THE OFFICERS.
I AM AGAINST THE EXCESSIVE HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE AT PROTEST RALLIES AND MARCHES.BUT I FULLY SUPPORT THE POLICE PRESENCE AT FOOTBALL MATCHES AND ON OUR STREETS BY DAY OR NIGHT.WHO ELSE IS GOING TO KEEP THE WARING FACTIONS APART.
AULDIE REEKIE IN SUPPORT OF LAW AND ORDER,SECURE BORDERS AND MORE POLICE ON THE STREETS OF BRITAIN.

AULDIE REEKIE

footie fans get a tough deal...

20.01.2008 19:29

...cops at footie matches are paid for by the club - but the clubs have no control over the amount of policing deemed 'necessary'. Consequently the police are in a position to write themselves blank cheques. They tell the club there is a need for x units of riot police, x mounted units, x surveillance teams etc. Even when there is no likelihood of public disorder (which is most of the time). And the clubs have to pay up.

The fan is then treated like an animal - herded, shoved around, harrassed for having had a pint before the game, generally given shit. Anyone who thinks that protesters are treated in a worse way havent been an away fan at a football match.

Personally, I get seriously pissed off with police who dictate how I travel to a game (a 'bubble' match means official club coaches only), when I'm allowed my last pint (all to often four, five hours before the game), where I pick my ticket up from (often a service station miles away from the ground), how long I have to wait around on the coach before being allowed into the game (bloody ages). No other sports fans would put up with treatment like this. Beats me why we do. Except when anyone kicks off about it they tend to get done for football related section 4 offences, which usually means an automatic custodial sentence just because it happened at a football match.

Stinks.

football fan

football fans

21.01.2008 00:34

sadly because of the behavior of football fans from the late 1960's onwards the dye has been cast and now no matter how much the British game has cleaned itself up with many of the big clubs riding themselves of the hooligan element the authorities will keep up a strong presence at matches.although if you watched the Donal MacIntyre undercover documentary about organized hooliganism that exists outside the premiership then i guess the clubs are bound to pay for the extra police.

nakanimbo

footie fans get a tough deal...

21.01.2008 08:28

Thanks for the posative feed back and there is allways one lone who fucks the debate on indymedia why on earth there is no f-ing log in and so fourth still beats me some people have no right to freedom of speach.. if footie fans get a tough deal... is still reading send me a e mail and we will continue the chat via there or got my web page..

M M Wallis..

M M Wallis
mail e-mail: worldwarfree@riseup.net
Homepage: http://pretentiousartist.com

your pictures are clear

21.01.2008 11:11

waliis in the country of my birth freedom of speech is something that comes at a high price don't take it for granted or condemn those who use it.just because someone else's opinions do not coincide with yours this does not mean they have "messed up a debate" they have merely volunteered a different opinion to yours and they have a right to do so don't let your uk political correctness erode all that you are renound for around the world.i think maybe you just like taking pictures of the police.did anyone follow the african nations cup on bbc.

nakanimbo

Re: me thinks

21.01.2008 11:46

"at the end of the day it was limited one local pub the Hadfield was slightly trashed and a little violence, and this being over a mile from the city center,"

And before the police used to turn out in full force, that violence was replicated at almost every pub in the city centre - there is a very good reason that no pubs will show the local derby.

I have had the rival gangs squaring off in the street outside my house and that simply does not happen when there is a strong police presence and the pubs refuse to show the game.

Steve

Banned

21.01.2008 14:19

auldie reekie nakanimbo are one of the same and indeed are responsible for a lot of shit posted at indymedia Sheffield and then e mail people asking to remove there comments, could have guessed this lone would post here and no it is not Mr Sinclair do you think we are daft? any how if there is a desire to have a real conversation them got my web page and we will do it from there and yes auldie reekie nakanimbo you are banned..

M M Wallis
mail e-mail: worldwarfree@riseup.net
Homepage: http://pretentiousartist.com

calm down mr wallis

21.01.2008 15:07

calm down mr wallis you know that getting excited is not good for you.its only a football match they have been going on for years and will do so for many more years to come.the police are always there. its nothing new its not news.its just you and your need for attention with a camera in your hands.

joe

your webpage mr wallis

21.01.2008 17:49

what does one do when one gets to your webpage mr wallis

nakanimbo