No away fans

[VillaTim]

In whose interest would it be to create a hoax?

the "ultras" egos . they seem to thrive off a weird notoriety of being hard men and travel in numbers . Setting women police officers on fire , sad feckers

Weren't you stating they were no hard men, it was just pretend reputation, fireworks don't hurt anyone and people should have nothing to fear from them. Pick a lane.

yeah exactly , sorry should have put "hard men" . Waving fireworks about singing West End Girls is really intimidating , so is acting hard behind a wall of coppers

[PeterWithe]

Its not true the The Witton Arms was smashed up.

[olaftab]

Also I don't think it's true that a WPC was deliberately set on fire. Some people like Daily Mail type of reporting.

[Somniloquism]

A very reliable friend of mine told me well before kick-off that he'd been talking to an ordinary Legia fan who'd been ordered by the ultras not to go into the ground if they all couldn't. The most likely explanation of events is that everything Legia officials did was with the aim of their supporters all gettingbin, by force if necessary.  What they didn't count on was the best police in the world when it comes to crowd control.

This is true. The Dutch police in Alkmaar relented and allowed them in to keep the peace, that was never going to happen here. Walking up to VP from the Church side you could sense that WMP were not going tp stand for any nonsense. I had to show credentials to be allowed past the riot shields in to DE stand. There were hundreds of people in the churchyard presumably Legia fans totally clueless as to what to do next.

From Ads discussions, it sounded like they had no choice as they all stormed the ticket barriers, hence the extra barriers that seemed superfluous when you went. Looking at the Alkmaar stadium, it is in a very open area so easier to do then Villa Park which is enclosed by housing and walls on most sides. So WMP found it easier to then force Legia fans into the Coach Park for pre-checks.

[Somniloquism]

Also I don't think it's true that a WPC was deliberately set on fire. Some people like Daily Mail type of reporting.

Yes the flare was an unfortunate follow up to being smashed on the helmet with hard lump of masonry which knocked her down with concussion. Still Ultras aren't dangerous and are all just smoke and mirrors.

[AV84]

Also I don't think it's true that a WPC was deliberately set on fire. Some people like Daily Mail type of reporting.

The police confirmed yesterday that a male officer was concussed when hit in the head by a thrown flare. His jacket then caught fire and he had to be helped out of it. He was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, the smoke from the flare having gotten inside his helmet. That's the only confirmation of a specific injury I've seen, and certainly the only confirmation of anyone being set on fire, but clearly not deliberately.

[PeterWithe]

I wish them the best of luck in court with that, ‘I threw a flare with fire coming out the end at a copper but didnt mean to set him on fire’

[Somniloquism]

In whose interest would it be to create a hoax?

the "ultras" egos . they seem to thrive off a weird notoriety of being hard men and travel in numbers . Setting women police officers on fire , sad feckers

Weren't you stating they were no hard men, it was just pretend reputation, fireworks don't hurt anyone and people should have nothing to fear from them. Pick a lane.

yeah exactly , sorry should have put "hard men" . Waving fireworks about singing West End Girls is really intimidating , so is acting hard behind a wall of coppers

It was Go West actually (well the tune) but then most football fans have chants to that. Of course the actual wording could easily be "We come, and kill you all, we come and kill you all" but nah, you seem to have now swerved into "they are not hard at all lane again"

[DeKuip]

Looks like they’ll be arguing that they can only be held responsible for the actions of fans who had tickets and entered the ground…


Statement of Legia Warsaw
 
In compliance with UEFA regulations and public law, Aston Villa F.C., as the host club, along with local authorities, has a responsibility to ensure an adequate level of security both inside the stadium and in its immediate surroundings. Prior to our match against Aston Villa F.C., we have consistently maintained that our responsibility extends only to individuals entering the visitors' sector with tickets distributed by us. No club should be held accountable for the actions of unidentified individuals without tickets for the match.
 
Our staff arrived in Birmingham earlier than usual and maintained continuous communication with the English club, UEFA, and the local police. We repeatedly informed the British counterparts about necessary measures for the security of the venue and its vicinity. Despite this, the British police, in their official responses, only acknowledged the potential risks without implementing our suggestions. Regrettably, due to the actions and inactions of Aston Villa F.C., adverse incidents occurred yesterday. By disregarding our constructive feedback, the host club bears full responsibility for the situation.
 
Aston Villa F.C. breached UEFA regulations multiple times - initially by not allocating the required 2,100 tickets (5% of the stadium's capacity), then reducing the agreed 1,700 tickets to just 890. Such decisions contributed to the escalation of tensions.
 
We have repeatedly highlighted the emotional impact on numerous individuals from Poland and the UK who, despite incurring high travel and accommodation costs, were denied tickets, contrary to the inter-club agreement of 21 September. The host club and the British authorities were fully aware of these circumstances. Respecting the host's responsibility for security, we consistently communicated the British restrictions through our club channels.
 
Due to the inability to authenticate and distribute tickets effectively, Legia Warsaw returned the tickets to the host club. We emphasize that none of the individuals detained by the police had tickets for yesterday's match. Therefore, we strongly object to Legia Warsaw being blamed for Thursday's incidents in Birmingham.
 
For years, visiting supporters and official delegations have been safely accommodated during matches at Legia Warsaw's stadium. Our commitment to ensuring the safety of visiting team fans has been consistently recognized, as experienced by representatives from Aston Villa F.C., Zrinjski Mostar, and FK Austria Vienna this season.
 
As a club, we are committed to upholding the highest standards in line with UEFA regulations. We expect reciprocal conduct from other club representatives. We remain prepared to present further evidence to UEFA regarding the actions of the British Police and Aston Villa F.C.

[PeterWithe]

In the wake of the violence, Legia Warsaw said We emphasise that none of the individuals detained by the police had tickets for the match

Kind of correct, no-one did, because you didnt give them out.

[Richard E]

In whose interest would it be to create a hoax?

the "ultras" egos . they seem to thrive off a weird notoriety of being hard men and travel in numbers . Setting women police officers on fire , sad feckers

Weren't you stating they were no hard men, it was just pretend reputation, fireworks don't hurt anyone and people should have nothing to fear from them. Pick a lane.

yeah exactly , sorry should have put "hard men" . Waving fireworks about singing West End Girls is really intimidating , so is acting hard behind a wall of coppers

It was Go West actually (well the tune) but then most football fans have chants to that. Of course the actual wording could easily be "We come, and kill you all, we come and kill you all" but nah, you seem to have now swerved into "they are not hard at all lane again"

‘ Przyjdziemy i zabijemy was wszystkich’ doesn’t scan very well.

[tomd2103]

Supposedly brought 2000 over but I've not seen a single picture/clip of them anywhere apart from what happened outside villa park ..
Its like they appeared & then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Bizarre!

I think one of the contributing factors would have been the number of Poles residing in the UK and Birmingham itself, who would have travelled to the game separately and wouldn't have been at the airport, in town etc.

[PeterWithe]

Of the 46 nicked, 40 are from Poland. I agree, seems strange no-one bumped into any groups of them at all away from VP

[dave.woodhall]

I saw a handful going back to Witton station and a few more bouncing round Witton Road but that was all. It was very strange.

[Somniloquism]

Looks like they’ll be arguing that they can only be held responsible for the actions of fans who had tickets and entered the ground…


Statement of Legia Warsaw
 
In compliance with UEFA regulations and public law, Aston Villa F.C., as the host club, along with local authorities, has a responsibility to ensure an adequate level of security both inside the stadium and in its immediate surroundings. Prior to our match against Aston Villa F.C., we have consistently maintained that our responsibility extends only to individuals entering the visitors' sector with tickets distributed by us. No club should be held accountable for the actions of unidentified individuals without tickets for the match.
 
Our staff arrived in Birmingham earlier than usual and maintained continuous communication with the English club, UEFA, and the local police. We repeatedly informed the British counterparts about necessary measures for the security of the venue and its vicinity. Despite this, the British police, in their official responses, only acknowledged the potential risks without implementing our suggestions. Regrettably, due to the actions and inactions of Aston Villa F.C., adverse incidents occurred yesterday. By disregarding our constructive feedback, the host club bears full responsibility for the situation.
 
Aston Villa F.C. breached UEFA regulations multiple times - initially by not allocating the required 2,100 tickets (5% of the stadium's capacity), then reducing the agreed 1,700 tickets to just 890. Such decisions contributed to the escalation of tensions.
 
We have repeatedly highlighted the emotional impact on numerous individuals from Poland and the UK who, despite incurring high travel and accommodation costs, were denied tickets, contrary to the inter-club agreement of 21 September. The host club and the British authorities were fully aware of these circumstances. Respecting the host's responsibility for security, we consistently communicated the British restrictions through our club channels.
 
Due to the inability to authenticate and distribute tickets effectively, Legia Warsaw returned the tickets to the host club. We emphasize that none of the individuals detained by the police had tickets for yesterday's match. Therefore, we strongly object to Legia Warsaw being blamed for Thursday's incidents in Birmingham.
 
For years, visiting supporters and official delegations have been safely accommodated during matches at Legia Warsaw's stadium. Our commitment to ensuring the safety of visiting team fans has been consistently recognized, as experienced by representatives from Aston Villa F.C., Zrinjski Mostar, and FK Austria Vienna this season.
 
As a club, we are committed to upholding the highest standards in line with UEFA regulations. We expect reciprocal conduct from other club representatives. We remain prepared to present further evidence to UEFA regarding the actions of the British Police and Aston Villa F.C.

They seem to forget that UEFA agreed to the reduction to 1000 a month ago. So complain all they want, I definitely trust our clubs events over theirs.