���������� Strasbourg, 26 November 2002 ���������������������������������������������� T-RV (2002) 21 |
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European Convention on
Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in
particular at Football Matches (T-RV) Draft Handbook on Prevention of Violence in Sport Text as
amended during the meeting of 10-11 October 2002, Strasbourg CONTENTS
I�..�General
principles behind a prevention policy A. ������The current situation as regards hooliganism 1.���� Clubs and leagues 2.���� International tournaments B. ��The need for preventive measures to combat violence in sport II. ��Initiatives
and preventive measures A. �� Relations between clubs and supporters 2.���� Supporters�
charter 3.���� Club
officials responsible for supporter relations and associations of fans 4.���� Supporters�
departments B. ��.The
club�s role in its social environment 1. ��� Working with the community 2.���� The city at the stadium and the stadium in the city C��..�����������Fan coaching 1.���� The social and educational coaching of fans 3.���� The staff involved a.�������� Educational activities b.�������� Social support 10 c.�������� Street work d.�������� Match days 5.���� Relations between fan coaching schemes and the police 6.���� International
co-operation in the field of fan coaching D. ��..The role of local authorities and other agencies 1.���� Educational activities 2.�
�� The
role of advisory committees for the prevention of violence in sport E������������Fan embassies. 12 1.���� The atmosphere of the tournament a.�������� Structure b.�������� Staffing and human resources c.�������� Opening hours. 13 d.�������� Location and access e.�������� Reception facilities, services and information a.�������� Embassies in transit cities b.�������� Local information centres 6.���� Accompanying persons a.�������� Role and tasks. 16 b.�������� Structure c.�������� Recruitment, selection and training F. ��Activities for local people during international
tournaments a.�������� Awareness-raising campaigns b.�������� Targeted prevention � Introduction
The prevention of spectator
violence is a necessity for many sports events in every country of Europe. The concept takes many
forms and corresponds to widely differing realities in practice. Preventive activities vary
widely, ranging from evening remedial lessons for child supporters run by
football clubs, to adventure sport activities organised for hooligans at
weekends, to well-publicised fan embassies at major tournaments, and fair
play campaigns.� Activities are also
organised by private associations on their own initiative, and others are run
under government programmes carried out by public or semi-public
institutions. Even if
the philosophies and the political lines behind them vary, these schemes as a
whole prove highly useful and are definitely effective. The
promotion of a more consistent approach to problems that are common to many
different countries is desirable.�
This is particularly important in the context of international matches
or tournaments. This manual is designed to identify and promote
existing good practice so that individual countries may learn from each
other�s experiences.� It is not
intended to be prescriptive.� It is a
menu from which each member state may select according to its needs and
circumstances. Most incidents at sports events stem from either
defective infrastructure, or inadequate organisation (sale of too many
tickets, spectator areas with insufficient capacity) or the poor
organisation, or actions of the security staff.� It is now possible to take the view that, if national
legislation and security regulations are complied with, the recommendations
made in the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at
Sports Events are applied, and the
crowd is well managed, the kind of disasters that happened in the
1980s and early 1990s can now be avoided (although the circulation of spectators and ticket management are still
areas of concern, in the latter case
especially where international tournaments are concerned, because of the
existence of black markets). I.���� General principles behind a prevention
policy
A.���� The current situation as regards
hooliganism
In this early part of the
21st century, spectator violence at football grounds still remains a topical
and disturbing problem, in spite of all the efforts made and resources
invested over the past twenty years or so. Most
European countries are affected to a greater or lesser extent.� However, the problem takes different forms.� In
most countries, the situation has been stabilising, with violence shifting from inside
football grounds to outside, including urban areas and city centres. In some countries the nature of those
involved in such violence has also
changed.� Football fans include young people from difficult
neighbourhoods and hooliganism is becoming linked to urban violence. 1.������ Clubs and leagues Violence has occurred at
football grounds ever since football became a spectator sport, namely since
the 1870s in England and the
early years of the 20th century on the continent.� Spectator violence, whether
spontaneous or planned, is most closely associated with professional
football, though in some countries it is also to be found in the amateur game
and in a variety of other sports. The contemporary football world also faces violence of
a premeditated kind.� This is group
violence, in the form of physical aggression or vandalism, engaged in by
hard-core groups of supporters.� These
hard-core groups follow a particular club and systematically seek
confrontation with their counterparts from rival clubs.� They regard themselves as elite supporters
and their membership of a group of hooligans as a �way of life� which helps
to add value to their social identity. This violence may take a
relatively organised form. Some
hard-core groups make use of new communications technologies (GSM, the
Internet, and so on) when planning and carrying out their acts of violence. 2.������ International tournaments
International tournaments
are one-off large-scale events where considerable spectator movements and
significant crowds have to be managed over a fairly long period of time. Over the years there have been a number of
serious incidents of disorder. In most places, virtually
no incidents occur inside football grounds during such tournaments; most
incidents happen in city centres, after matches or in the days between them. B.���� The
need for preventive measures to combat violence in sport
A
large number of practical measures have been introduced since the Heysel
tragedy to prevent violence,
both by states and by international co-operation, relating to police
activity, infrastructure improvements, crowd management and video monitoring,
better organisation
(ticketing). This has included the
use of the criminal law. In
contrast, while many proactive
educational or social initiatives have been launched at local level to
prevent football supporters
resorting to violence, there is no common or co-ordinated
approach towards prevention at international or pan-European level.�
It is therefore desirable that greater attention
and emphasis should be given to proactive preventive measures at these
levels.� These should be seen as
complementing conventional security measures.� An
appropriate balance needs to be maintained between these different measures.
While the constitutional arrangements will vary
from country to country, in most of them local
authorities are likely to
have a major role to play in developing
and providing the various measures described in this manual for
preventing violence in sport.� Indeed, the lowest tier of public
institutions, particularly city councils, may need to be catalysts in prevention policies and to give
impetus to activities involving sports organisations or associations.�
II.��� Initiatives and preventive measures
A.���� Relations between clubs and supporters
1.������ Introduction The
relationship between clubs and supporters provides a framework for a number
of preventive measures.� The clubs
should take responsibility for initiating such measures. It would seem natural for sports
clubs and federations to adopt
a stronger fan support policy, thus starting a process by which they draw
closer to their fans, forging a new social link. 2.������ Supporters� charter� In an
ideal world, a joint charter should be drawn up by the club and the
representatives of its supporters� associations, setting out the club�s
obligations to its supporters and the supporters� obligations towards the
club and clearly defining each party's rights and duties.� This would help to formalise the
relationship between clubs and supporters. A supporters� charter could cover membership,
consultation and information, accessibility, ticketing policy, merchandise,
community activity, and loyalty rewards.�
It should be based on communication with
the club, and also involve partnerships with local authorities and the media,
and be centred on the values of fair play in sport.� UEFA
could encourage national associations to set out a possible way forward,
using positive examples. 3.������ Club officials responsible for
supporter relations and associations of fans Clubs should value supporters�
associations, encourage their setting up and consult them regularly on issues that affect supporters.� The more such groups are involved in the
club�s decision making, the more they are likely to be committed to the
creation of an enjoyable trouble-free environment for all spectators.� This has been particularly noticeable in
the anti-racism initiatives adopted by clubs and supporters� groups in many
countries. All professional clubs in Germany have
successfully adopted a system whereby a club official with decision-making
authority has been made responsible for relations with fans, so as
to ensure that supporters� associations receive support and that the process
of communication between club and fans is a concrete and permanent one.� This is a requirement from UEFA for all
clubs in international competitions.� 4.������ Supporters� departments Larger clubs could consider establishing specific
�supporters� departments� to manage all aspects of their relationships with
supporters.� These will vary from club
to club but may include ticketing, fixture list, information, organisation of
travel to matches and regulations. Many clubs employ supporters in these
departments.� Part of the club
management structure, they provide a specific interface between the club and
its supporters. B.���� The club�s role in its social environment
1.
����� Working with the community As
clubs have a high symbolic value, they are
uniquely placed to play a leading role within their neighbourhood,
their community and the whole of their local environment throughout the week.� The club can play a pivotal role in
supporting broader social policies and can represent a genuine driving force
for the promotion of sport and for encouraging the learning process for young
people, and even for supporting good citizenship.� Football�s link with society cannot be limited to match days,
or stop where the sporting competition ends.�
There
are various noteworthy examples which show the way and deserve adoption
elsewhere. One is
the community programme run in England.�
This may typically comprise a partnership with the local authority�s
educational services, under which the club organises remedial lessons for
children who have difficulties at school.�
Classes are taken by official teachers at the ground, to which pupils
are brought in vehicles bearing the club�s logo.� A high level of voluntary participation has been achieved, as
has a clear improvement in the children�s school results.� Another
example are the �social units� to promote the playing of football in
residential neighbourhoods, to organise amateur football tournaments and to
get professional players involved in campaigns which highlight the value of
engaging in sporting activities and of sporting ethics. Some
clubs in the Czech Republic, with the help of government programmes, have set
up junior fan clubs, aimed at very young supporters (from 8 to 12 years), and
these run sporting and educational activities, as well as offering social
assistance with the help of a social worker, at a �clubhouse� which is a
centre for leisure activities.� The
aim is to highlight such groups of young supporters with a positive mentality
and positive behaviour, thereby giving rise to a �new� culture of sport and
developing a new generation of fans who will remain loyal. The
numerous local initiatives deserve support and an international
framework.� It would be useful in this
context to appoint within every national federation, and at UEFA and FIFA, a
person to be responsible for �prevention and social programmes�, who would
help develop such activities and provide institutional support for them. 2.������ The city at the stadium and the stadium
in the city The
football ground is the place where many
different kinds of people come together, and sport provides a potential link
between all the various component parts of the urban community, encouraging
positive group action. The
football ground should play a full part in the life of the city, so that the
people who live in the city also feel
a sense of belonging at the football ground. During
World Cups, for example, the stadia could help to foster the involvement of
local people in the sporting sphere and to bring the sporting infrastructure
into the heart of the city.� Firstly,
by taking advantage of the pool of jobs to which the World Cups give rise, in
synergy with the social reintegration programmes being run with young people
in the neighbourhoods; secondly, by organising tours of the stadium for local
people to show that it remains accessible; and finally by organising
multicultural days in the context of the sporting event in which all local
associations and authorities take part. C.���� Fan coaching
1.������ The
social and educational coaching of fans Having regard to the changing nature of hooliganism
and to its particular local circumstances, several countries have concluded
that it is necessary to ask social workers to carry out educational
activities targeted specifically at supporters, and have taken steps towards
this end.� Supplementing both passive
security measures connected with infrastructure or supervision and police
action to manage events, fan coaching is part of an operational prevention
policy extending over the medium and long term, based on ongoing grass-roots
work with supporters. 2.������ Definition Fan
coaching is part of the effort described as �proactive socio-prevention�.�
It is carried out wherever the target audience is to be found and
requires such an
approach.� Promoting a positive fan
culture and creating positive conditions for the stay of visiting supporters
are key prerequisites.� The
basic principle is one of active social
and educational action in the field by skilled professionals who work in a
targeted manner, focussing on groups of young football fans.� It is essential to let projects evolve
continually, ensuring that new staff are constantly brought in and provided
with in-service training, so that activities do not become bogged down in
tradition.� The supporters� world is
changing, so, by definition, fan-coaching projects have also to develop. Fan
coaching schemes are quality background activities that take on their full
scope when they are part of the local environment, and they are run within a
club or a city.� Fan coaches�
intervention in the specific area of football is part of a broader prevention
or urban security programme implemented at municipal level. In
practice, fan coaching is carried out in many different ways, mainly because
supporters have different profiles, but also because hooliganism itself
differs as well, leading to the adoption in each country of different methods
of action.� Fan coaching is therefore a flexible concept,
adapted to each situation on the ground, according to local needs and
specific national cultures.� The most
structured and institutionalised efforts in terms of fan coaching have mainly
been made in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.� In
these countries, the activities are carried out by teams of professionals
specialising in social or educational work and steeped in the supporters�
culture.� Due to the sensitive area in
which the activities are conducted and the complexity of the psycho-social
problems involved, the teams work in and among the fans.� As
regards responsibilities and funding, governments have a role to play, with
direct support from the clubs and local authorities concerning the
organisational aspects and implementation. 3.������ The staff involved �Fan
coaches� usually work under an employment contract.
Fan
coaching involves a mobile effort, both home and away, also encompassing
ongoing educational and social work during the periods of supporters� lives
when they are not involved in football, thanks to the organisation of
structured educational activities. While some fan
coaching takes place on match days, using a situation-based approach, its main focus is on educational and
social activity, which is ongoing during the rest of the week. a.������ Educational activities
The
educational activities provide a valuable opportunity to carry out
specifically targeted educational work with young supporters outside the particular context of matches,
with their associated excitement.� The
organisation of classical sporting activities (such as football on a
full-sized or smaller pitch) as part of an educational project to involve
young people and make them more responsible is also intended to prevent young
supporters from finding themselves at a loose end in their cities, while at
the same time enabling them to meet their need to be active.� Some structure is offered through
participation in amateur championships.�
Adventure
sports, such as rafting and climbing, prove very appropriate, enabling young
supporters to prove their worth in a positive field, by meeting open-air
sporting challenges, rather than through resorting to violence.� They also enable young people to expend
their pent-up energy, while providing them with the excitement they
need.� Significantly, they learn
proper standards by participating in this kind of activity. As the
key to these efforts is learning to be actively involved and to be
responsible, offering supporters consumer activities merely to keep them
occupied is to be avoided, for the essential aim is to enable young
supporters� positive resources and potential to be used and developed, and to
express themselves through action. b.������ Social support
The link with football may provide an opportunity to carry out social work targeted
at certain disadvantaged groups.� Fan coaching may thus enable individuals
with social difficulties who are not helped by conventional institutions to be given assistance.� When fans� social situations are improved,
one step is thereby taken towards making them more independent, also as
individuals. c.������ Street work
Permanent
contact with fans is important, providing the cement that binds the
educational work that needs to be done. Such
contact may be maintained through street work carried out in residential
neighbourhoods or on premises frequented by fans, such as bars, keeping in
contact with them between matches and activities, and enabling a relationship
of trust to develop. Or it
may take the form of a fan centre, an educational infrastructure open during
the week and offering games and educational material, providing a place where
fans can meet each other freely in an educational context.� This kind of infrastructure provides a
permanent interface between fan coaching and fans. d.������ Match days
The
main aim of fan coaching on match
days is to ensure that a channel of communication is open between
supporters and organisers. When
fan coaching services are provided by staff recognised by the authorities and accepted by the
fans, the staff can be regarded as a
link between organisers and fans.�
Thanks both to their special position at the heart of events and to
constant dialogue, they can often
defuse some conflicts and thereby help to avoid certain incidents. 5.������ Relations between fan coaching schemes
and the police Fan coaching
taking place in a context of integrated prevention is of proven
effectiveness.� An uncoordinated approach could prove
counter-productive. �Positive
co-operation between the police and �fan coaches� is vital to a long-term
structured prevention policy.� While
the methods differ, the objectives are identical: to reduce violence in
sport.
6.������ International co-operation in the field
of fan coaching With
both football and hooliganism now having an international dimension, other countries may wish to adopt the
fan coaching approach according to their
local needs.� Each country,
region and city has its own peculiarities, and activities must be tailored to
these specific local features, in particular as regards the level of
institutionalisation and dialogue between fan coaches, the club, the local
authority and the police. International
relations between fan coaching schemes could focus on exchanges of specific
experience, so as to reinforce and enrich each country�s practice.� There is a strong case for local fan coaching
activities to be interlinked via a national platform. These correspondents might come together from
time to time in an appropriate forum to analyse developments and share their
experiences. Fan
coaching is a concept that is primarily aimed at club supporters.� Any
international fan coaching structure for fans of national teams should focus
more on the concept of the use of �accompanying persons� (see section E6), a concept that is more
flexible and enables the work done to extend to all supporters.� While the �accompanying persons� may
include some workers from the fan coaching schemes, not all need come from
that source. D.��� The role of local authorities and other
agencies
1.������ Educational activities
Local authorities are best equipped to co-ordinate and support activities that
use sport as a tool for prevention or reintegration, especially activities
run in schools or targeting school pupils.�
In Austria, for example, some activities are organised to teach school
pupils about fair play and tolerance, and to inculcate in them respect for
other cultures, by making them aware of the need to combat racism.� At the same time, the FARE network runs
national and international campaigns against racism.� In the
urban context, one of the main focal points for action is that of rough
estates, to which priority is given where policies of prevention through
sport are concerned.� It is important to provide facilities to
enable young people from disadvantaged communities to engage in sport on a
regular basis and in a structured context, and for financial considerations
not to constitute an obstacle to this.�
Amateur
sport is the basis of all sporting activity and has a key role to play.� While the media focus first and foremost
on professional sport, the problems of violence are also significant in
day-to-day sport, including in amateur football.� In
addition to awareness-raising campaigns, targeted action is needed among
amateur clubs and those who take part in sport at that level.� French
legislation provides for an �officer responsible for the prevention of
violence in sport� to be appointed in 26 d�partements.� This officer acts as a resource person and a facilitator for local sporting
associations, institutions and other bodies, with a view to combating
violence in amateur sport. 2.� ���� The role of advisory
committees for the prevention of violence in sport Local authorities need to establish appropriate
structures for addressing the problem of violence in sport and for
co-ordinating activities.� These could
take the form of
a committee made up of members who play an active part
in fan coaching, the police, the football club and the courts, in combination
with youth and sports associations and institutions
of higher education. The
committee could also be responsible
for offering opinions and sending proposals to the local authority on the
form to be given to prevention policy and to its programmes.� It
could act as a direct intermediary between those who work in the field
and policy-makers.� It could also give impetus to
specific projects involving the partners, either in the form of
awareness-raising campaigns or through targeted action meeting real needs. Finally, it could identify new trends,
with a view to ensuring speedy,
appropriate and effective responses.�
In some countries, such committees already exist at national level. E.���� Fan embassies
1.������ The atmosphere of the tournament The
fundamental principle underlying
the organisation of a sports event must be the priority given to spectator
and public safety.� Thus the major
challenge during sports events is that of striking a balance between the
strict requirements of safety and
security in the light of actual risk factors and the need to maintain the
festive and convivial nature of the event. The
event must remain a welcoming and festive one, with local and foreign fans
being treated correctly and with respect.�
As far as hospitality in connection with the matches is concerned,
there is a need for a clear,
well-understood and, where possible, consistent approach to the way in which supporters are treated,
to the reception facilities organised for them and to the transport and
accommodation policy adopted. This
can only be achieved if there is an integrated strategy under which all the
responsible parties work together with common aims and objectives.� This partnership requires a consensus
among all concerned and their involvement during both the planning stage and
the event itself. It is
important to note that the work done before matches take place, in the hours
and even days preceding games, is vital.�
Well organised events preceding matches invariably have a positive
effect on supporter behaviour and on the atmosphere in the ground.� A fundamental
aim of such preventative arrangements is to create a partnership with the
police, and to relieve them of some of their workload (in respect of the
secondary task of providing public information), thus enabling them to
concentrate on their main task of maintaining public order.� The prevention programme also plays a
significant role in creating a calm atmosphere and hence limiting the number
of situations that might require police action.� 2.������ Purpose Fan
embassies are intended to offer a point to which foreign supporters can go,
and they focus on fan culture and on supporters� specific needs during the
tournament. They provide supporters with an opportunity to talk in their own
language to people familiar with the supporters� specific environment, and
who have the necessary skills to help solve their individual
difficulties.� Fans can also obtain
information and assistance relating to matches, to ticket sales, to
accommodation, to travel, to leisure activities, to any planned screenings of
matches, to the theft or loss of documents and to health care, and a wide
variety of information about such matters as currency exchange or alternative
activities. The aim
is thus to provide a channel of communication between supporters and the
local and national authorities and
the tournament organisers, particularly so that up-to-date information
can be rapidly and efficiently disseminated, for a tournament, by definition,
has a life of its own and can undergo constant change, with situations
altering considerably and speedily.�
As the tournament itself is not fixed and immoveable, it is essential
to have a facility directly linked to the situation in the field, and able to
adapt to changing situations. Fan
embassies can also represent the views of the supporters to the authorities
if problems arise and take proactive initiatives to build good will between
different supporter groups and with local ethnic groups. 3.������ Functioning a.������ Structure
During
any international tournament, each host city should have a fan embassy
scheme.� Various formats are possible:
a single embassy, or two embassies - one for each of the countries concerned
- possibly even with a third information centre for other foreign fans in
transit.� The degree of
professionalism and the structure's autonomy differ according to national
cultural tendencies.� Fan embassies
are sometimes set up by the organising public authorities or alternatively by
the supporters themselves.�
The key
requirement is that the structure should be capable of dealing with
supporters in an appropriate manner, in particular fans of visiting
teams.� b.������ Staffing and human resources
Clearly
it is desirable for those involved in fan embassy provision to be adequately
resourced and to possess the skills required to fulfil the functions
described above. In some
cases, these can be paid staff contracted to an institutional authority or
appointed association.� In other
cases, the involvement of committed volunteers from supporters� organisations
has also proved effective. The
staff of a fan embassy should collectively possess an understanding of the
fan culture of its target groups; detailed local knowledge; close contact
with all relevant local, national and international agencies; and good
knowledge of the languages of the target groups and the host nation. c.������ Opening hours
Fan
embassies should be accessible and contactable by telephone during the
greatest possible number of hours.�
Experience has shown that permanent opening throughout the tournament
may be desirable.� The embassies must
be open for as long as possible on the day before, the day of and the day
after each match.� One of the
advantages of fan embassies is their accessibility, and another is their
flexibility, enabling them to adapt to the situations that arise and also to
tailor their activities to the lifestyles of visiting supporters. d.������ Location and access
Choosing
a location is a sensitive part of the preparations, as fan embassies should
be accessible, visible and in a place that is easy to get to.� This question of location needs to be the
subject of close consultation between prevention services, supporters�
associations, police and local authority, in the light of specific local
characteristics.� Ideally, it is
useful for fan embassies to be located in city centres, enabling a
considerable amount of work to be done in advance of the match and making the
embassies accessible to the greatest possible numbers, for supporters as a
whole traditionally go to the ground only an hour or two before
kick-off.� It is
useful, as was done at Euro 96, to set up a fan consulate near the ground, so
that supporters have an alternative point of reference during the periods
immediately before and after each match. The way
to fan embassies should be indicated by means of effective and visible signs,
making it easy for supporters to find them and making them accessible at any
time.� It helps if the signs contain a logo that is common to all the
host cities, making identification easier.�
The literature distributed to supporters in their own countries before
the tournament should give
the addresses and other details of the fan embassies.� Printing special posters with city maps showing the location of fan
embassies (and other useful information such as where to find bus stops, cash
dispensers, etc.) for display in the windows of shops and cafes will enable supporters to establish
their own location or to find out where their fan embassies are. e.������ Reception facilities, services and
information
As fan
embassy staff are in constant touch with the organiser, local and national
authorities, the police and the security services, they are able to provide
supporters with up-to-date and accurate information.� They must make sure that this information
is definite and reliable, and constantly check its accuracy, so that no
misleading information is provided to supporters.� An
associated aim is to nip rumours in the bud.�
The widest variety of quite fantastic rumours circulates among
supporters during tournaments, and these may create difficulties that are not
easy to deal with.� As fan embassies
combine an official position at the heart of the network of organising bodies
with special and immediate relationships with supporters on the spot, they
are able rapidly and definitively to help put a stop to such kinds of
rumours. Matches
and arrangements for the tournament Fan
embassies distribute brochures containing information about football grounds,
their location, access to them, local public transport and the kick-off times
of matches.� This information should include legislation or
regulations relating to the tournament or to crowd management and the rules
applied within each ground, including any items that are prohibited and forms
of behaviour which are regarded as anti-social.� Regulations vary from country to country and even from match to
match, as far as items such
as banners, fireworks,
cameras, mobile telephones, video cameras and umbrellas are concerned.� Tickets
and their distribution Tournament
organisers should make accurate and up-to-date information available to fan
embassies about pricing, sales outlets, the numbers of tickets remaining (if
any) and the time limits and conditions applying to sales or provide a point
of contact for them to obtain this information.� It is important for fans to be told at a sufficiently early
stage - and to know that this information is reliable - when a match has sold
out, or how many tickets are still available and at what prices, or when
ticket sales have finished.� Fan
embassies do not, however, sell tickets.�
Accommodation Generally
speaking, fan embassies complement or back up conventional tourist offices,
which provide information about various types of accommodation and
services.� It is important that
information should be provided not only about hotels, but also about more
economical accommodation, such as campsites or bed and breakfast
establishments, and accurate information should also be supplied about public
transport services to these places (location, cost and timetable). When
all local accommodation is taken, supporters must be able to be pointed
towards more distant accommodation and told about the means of transport they
can use to get there.� When more
critical cases arise, fan embassies may, in consultation with the local
authority or police, identify the need for emergency and temporary
accommodation for supporters, directing them to improvised campsites,
gymnasia with camp beds, and so on.� Travel
Moving
around the country, within its cities and to and from its football grounds,
is a major challenge during tournaments, and the quality of information
provided on the subject is particularly important. �Not only city maps, but also public transport timetables (for
trains, buses, trams and underground railways) should be available, and
supporters should be provided with information corresponding to their
personal needs.� Information similarly
needs to be provided about public and privately owned parking areas in the
city or near the ground, park-and-ride facilities and the timetables of
shuttles to the ground (ideally with a stop at the �fan embassy�). Theft or loss of documents
Official
documents, such as identity cards, passports and social security documents,
as well as airline tickets and match tickets, among other things, are
frequently lost or stolen during tournaments, causing dismay to the supporter
who feels lost in an unknown environment and has to try to cope with a
foreign language.� Supporters need the
benefit of a direct link or of having their problems dealt with directly by
the �fan embassy�, the reception facilities and hospitality of which come into
their own when this kind of problem has to be solved. In this
context, the presence of a consular official in the vicinity of the fan
embassy proves a considerable bonus and is therefore recommended. Health
care Fan
embassies need to be able to supply information about hospitals, ordinary or
emergency medical services, emergency dentists and social welfare systems, so
that supporters can be pointed in the right direction. Activities Fan
embassies are a major source of information about leisure, sports and
cultural activities organised for local people, or specifically for
supporters, in the city or in other parts of the country, as well as details
of how to get there.� Such activities
are sometimes even organised by �fan embassies� themselves, by or for
supporters, and these extend to concerts, games and other activities. It is important
that information should be up-to-date, and that the very latest news
should be passed on, for many activities are organised too late to be
publicised in official literature, or, alternative activities may not be
included in this.� Other activities,
news of which should be circulated mainly by the fan embassy, include public
screenings of matches, which are not always planned in advance and sometimes
provide a last-minute solution to the problem of channelling the movements of
spectators who cannot be accommodated at a sold-out match.
a.������ Embassies in transit cities
As well
as setting up the basic fan embassies in host cities, additional facilities
can usefully be set up in those cities through which large numbers of fans
will pass, or where large numbers will be staying.� Such cities are those which have tourist attractions, are centres
of entertainment, offer attractive activities or have large numbers of hotel
rooms likely to be used by many supporters, or cities located in such a
geographical position that supporters will inevitably pass through. These
scaled-down facilities can easily be placed within ordinary official
services, such as tourist offices.�
One of their roles is also to provide information about the
tournament�s host cities. b.������ Local
information centres
It is
useful if local organisers or local authorities can establish an information
centre for local fans at the ground, so that they can obtain
information.� This would complement
but not supplant the classic fan embassies.�
A classic fan embassy in the city with large numbers of staff is not
justified over the whole period of the tournament. If it
is to operate effectively, a fan embassy will incur significant logistical
and staff costs. In view
of the one-off nature of the event, part of the needs may be met with
equipment, premises and staff made available by local authorities and
associations.� However, special
funding is essential. Governments
and tournament and match organisers will
need to play their part in providing the necessary funding and support
for the facility. 6.������ Accompanying persons
a.������ Role and tasks
Some countries also find it useful to send
�accompanying persons� with their supporters who travel to other countries or
to request that such persons accompany supporters coming from other
countries.� These persons come from
the fans� countries of origin, speak the host nation�s language and are
familiar with the culture of the national supporters. They
travel with their national supporters wherever they go within the host
country, basing their movements on the dates of the fixtures.� They are present in the host city on the
day before, the day of and the day after the game.� They also travel to other places if large numbers of fans are
present there. They may either be based in the fan embassy and
provide a form of outreach to spectators or they may act as stewards,
escorting organised groups from their home countries to the stadium and home
again.� This latter form is more
commonly adopted for the supporters of clubs playing in international
competitions. Such �accompanying persons� have no legal status outside
their own country so their role must by definition be limited.� Their
main duty is to look after the visiting supporters and to provide appropriate
services so as to improve the reception that they receive and to optimise the
hospitality shown to them.� They can provide the fans with
information and help them to solve problems, in close consultation with the
fan embassy.�� They play a roving fan
ambassador role, helping to
develop and strengthen a positive fan culture based on respect and tolerance.� In some circumstances and in some countries, they may also be able to facilitate dialogue
between police and supporters, so as
to defuse tension and settle disputes without the need for police intervention. In some circumstances, by agreement between the
two countries concerned, they may be able to perform the tasks undertaken on
match days by fan coaches (see section C).�
In this case the same considerations apply as at the local level.� b.������ Structure
The size of the team and the means of liaison
with the organisers, police and local authorities will vary according to
local needs and circumstances.� It is
important to ensure that there are clear lines of communication and that the
responsibilities of each party are agreed and clearly understood. c.������ Recruitment, selection and training
Host countries may also find it helpful to
recruit welcoming staff and interpreters from among the nationals of
visiting countries who already live
there. �Some countries, such as
Turkey and Yugoslavia, may have many
supporters resident in the organising country or neighbouring
states.� Other nations also have a
considerable number of immigrant fans on the spot, among them Spain, Italy
and Portugal. The
desired profile for accompanying persons does not necessarily have to be that
of someone who does the work professionally or of someone who works in the
education sphere with hooligans or with juvenile delinquents.� As their tasks are mainly those of primary
prevention aimed at all supporters, it may be beneficial not to be led by
professional reflexes or different work practices. F.���� Activities for local people during
international tournaments
a.������ Awareness-raising campaigns
Related
activities need to be held to raise awareness among local people and
encourage them to get involved in the event, so that the festive dimension of
the tournament and the concept of hospitality come right to the fore.� If this is done, a convivial atmosphere
will bind everyone together in the spirit of fraternity everyone expects
during the tournament. The
tournament, with all its heavy symbolism, can act as a catalyst for
larger-scale preventive activities.�
The dissemination of the values of tolerance and respect is encouraged
through multicultural activities and awareness-raising campaigns. Awareness
can be raised among local
people through preventive campaigns.�
One example of a very worthwhile initiative is that of the primary
prevention activities undertaken in the �Welkom!� schools project in the
Netherlands. It
is necessary to emphasise the festive side of the event, as well as the
concept of fair play, and, in particular, to demystify the mood of panic
inevitably generated by the media in the preparatory phase of such
tournaments, to help reduce tension in the local population, and to get ready
for a fraternal festival of football, rather than for confrontations with
foreign invaders with a thirst for both beer and violence. People
who run pubs and bars are a specific target, for they play a vital part in preventing
over-consumption of alcohol.� Both
staff and management of alcohol outlets need to be made aware of their
responsibilities.� Information needs
to be targeted at them so as to reduce the likelihood of incidents
occurring.� b.������ Targeted prevention
An
effort must be made to avoid making an already socially vulnerable group of
the population feel excluded.� It is undesirable for the
tournament and all that goes with it to
become the preserve of a few privileged people.� Preventive activities need to be carried
out in local estates, especially those considered difficult.� Such
activities should take further local policies on integration through sport
and on intercultural prevention, and should be organised in co-operation with
associations and similar bodies that have experience of socio-preventive
work.� Alternative activities can be
organised to avoid leaving people at a loose end or bored, a situation which
often leads to offences being committed, examples of such activities being
sporting tournaments, �taster� sessions in certain sports, themed evenings,
concerts and educational activities.�
Such activities also have a structuring function if they are part of a
carefully considered educational project.�
And they distract the attention of young people from their potential
interest in possible conflict areas and from taking part in clashes. |