British football assoc. denounces hooliganism in Amsterdam

By Janene Pieters on March 26, 2018 - 13:00

British football association FA released a statement condemning English football fans' behavior in Amsterdam around a friendly match between the Dutch and English teams on Friday. Around 100 British football fans were arrested in the Dutch capital on Thursday and Friday, mostly for disrupting public order, according to RTL Nieuws.

Most of the arrested supporters have since been fined and sent home, according to the broadcaster.

"We condemn the unacceptable scenes in Amsterdam. As was reiterated ahead of the fixture, we always urge supporters to respect our hosts and behave in a responsible manner", FA said in a statement published on Twitter. "As ever, the FA will work in partnership with the UK Football Policing Unit to help identify those involved and we will sanction any England Supporters Travel club member found to be responsible for disorder."

Around 4,500 English football supporters came to Amsterdam on Friday for the friendly match between Oranje and England, which England won 0-1, according to Het Parool. The riot police had to intervene several times in Amsterdam on Friday night. The biggest incident happened on the Oudezijkds Voorburgwal in the Red Light District around 7:00 p.m. Around 50 British supporters were arrested for disrupting public order.

The Amsterdam police also had their hands full with football hooligans on Thursday night. 25 England supporters were arrested for numerous violations, including throwing beer bottles at police officers and causing a lot of noise. The riot police were also deployed on Thursday night.

"The behavior of a large number of England supporters was appalling. Any attempts to downplay it are wide of the mark", a spokesperson for the British police said to Goal.com. "The sad fact is that the drunken mob's behavior reinforces the negative stereotype of England supporters, and will impact on the treatment all fans can expect when they follow the team abroad."