Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1469874
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JUNE 2022 13 OPINION porters expect and even welcome security when they go to a game. And that seems to have increased since big sporting events increas- ingly became targets for acts of terrorism, supporter violence and urban crime. A charged atmosphere And with elite football comes mass crowds, rendering potential issues of overcrowding a very re- al risk. So fans are alive to these dangers, and appreciate that their security and safety are being pri- oritised by security and event managers when, or if, trouble arises. But, it is all about striking a bal- ance: an excessive presence and largely overt security measures may be perceived as both intru- sive and contributing to an op- pressive or sanitised atmosphere in stadiums. For example, when security staff crackdown on in- nocent fans with banners or fans wearing clothes promoting unli- censed products. In addition to security and safe- ty, service measures are a key pillar of European approaches to football matches and sport events. In a nutshell, the empha- sis on "service" creates a welcom- ing and enjoyable event for sup- porters. This can lead to feelings of safety and can be achieved through, for example, informa- tion points or designated individ- uals assisting supporters who of- ten find themselves in a new city. Think of the volunteer helpers, who helped make the London Olympics in 2012 such a welcom- ing environment for spectators. However, in the case of the Champions League final, it ap- pears that the core principles and service standards for en- suring that fans are treated well and feel safe were abandoned or collapsed. In some areas around the stadium where the gates were shut, stewards were reportedly absent and information about the match's delay was never provided to supporters. I witnessed, first hand, that safe- ty was an issue at every step along our journey to the stadium. Even the roads leading there were so jammed with traffic, that people were leaving taxis to jump over reservations in a bid to reach the game. Something as mundane as buying food and a drink in the Liverpool section was so poorly managed that the long queues at half time ultimately led to frus- trated supporters arguing among themselves. And as the game's kick-off was approaching in Paris, the official UEFA security and the Com- pagnies républicaines de sécurité kept fans in long queues without instruction and closed entrance gates without warning. They re- fused to respond to basic and po- lite fan questioning in regards to essential matters, such as how to exit the stadium or to cross the main road which runs next to the station and needed to be crossed for fans to seek transport home. But far worse than that, the police began resorting to violent tactics such as deploying pepper spray, teargas and their trun- cheons without clear warning. While policing in the UK has rightly been subject to intense scrutiny, the service retains the ethos of community policing based on dialogue and mutual respect. It can be argued that the French police do not share this ethos and this has resulted in other brutal actions, such as the prolonged beating of black mu- sic presenter in Paris and wide- spread allegations of heavy hand- ed policing of demonstrators and minorities. There is also another broader structural issue for French soci- ety – the failure to integrate and empower the next generation of migrants and their children living in the types of decaying banlieues close to the stadium. It was obvious to everyone there on the day that a key security is- sue was the presence of a sizeable group of young local men intent on entering the ground. There have also been numerous reports of visiting fans being mugged. The extent of this disillusion within French society was evi- dent in 2015 when suicide bomb- ers attacked the Stade de France. Following that attack, one study explored survey responses from 1,500 football fans, some of whom believed that "nothing would be the same again" in terms of foot- ball security and safety. Sadly, the Champions League final shows that nothing has in fact changed, structurally, within the areas of Stade de France. Studies have clearly established the link between some criminal and terrorist groups with foot- ball's international audience and its plethora of high profile at- tendees. So Saturday's final was a high-value target. To make all football fans safer, the French authorities need to heed the lessons of the inclusion work which has had some suc- cess in other European countries and the UK. For example, in chal- lenging terrorist narratives and proposing alternative narratives which focus on what society is "for" rather than "against". Blaming fans… again Overall, both history and re- search shows that when disorder spreads at a football match or sporting event multiple factors play a role. Rarely are fans solely to blame when things go wrong – yet that has been the dominant discourse in this case: first blaming fans' "late arrival", then "ticketless" fans and then "fake tickets on an industrial scale". This is pure rhetoric and re- inforces the criminalising dis- courses that present a view of fans as "threats" and "potential troublemakers". Sadly, and trag- ically, Liverpool fans have seen this played out before and had to fight over two decades for justice following the Hillsborough Dis- aster – another event that was appallingly managed by the po- lice and where blame was shifted to the fans. Indeed, one of the key lessons from the Hillsborough Panel and subsequent inquests are the dangers involved when the first narratives that emerge from the perspectives of the authorities, sport's governing bodies or the police, are blindly and uncritical- ly accepted. Then, the disaster's aftermath also led to a greater emphasis being placed on health and safety in English football and beyond, including the all-seated stadia. Indeed, the recent events demonstrate how these lessons are as relevant as ever. International fan networks have been quick to react, and voice their support for Liverpool sup- porters on Saturday. For example, the pan-European supporter net- work of Football Supporters Eu- rope (FSE) – which is recognised by UEFA as a legitimate partner on matters of security and safety in football – tweeted as the events unfolded: "Fans at the Champi- ons League final bear no respon- sibility for tonight's fiasco." Merseyside Police also stated that the Liverpool fans' behav- iour was "exemplary in shocking circumstances", while troubles were also experienced by Spanish fans visiting Paris. Hillsborough is a powerful ex- ample of exactly why it is im- perative that football fans are not scapegoated – but that their voices and versions are listened to. And that – despite the French and UEFA narratives that fol- lowed the match – evaluations and critical reflections into the organisational issues that nega- tively effected the final provide tangible lessons that inform prac- tice and policy at future events. In just two years, another sport- ing mega-event will return to Paris, as the city, including Stade de France, welcomes the world to the 2024 Olympic Games. But many fans including myself left the Champions League final vowing never to return. And, for now, what should have been a night of celebration appears to be a textbook example of event mis- management, scapegoating and blame shifting. To prevent the consequences at future events from becoming even more disas- trous, things will need to change. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.