England fans in World Cup hell THUGS’ SICK WARNING AFTER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ATTACK
Russian and wear jet black shirts with Russian slogans on them – like those who attacked Liverpool fans in Kiev on Thursday. One fan wore a shirt which said “We are against all”.
Fears have already been raised that as well as the Ukrainian mobs, thousands of Russian ultras are gearing up to shed blood at the 21st World Cup in June. Groups of raging football hooligans from Moscow and other cities have united on Russia’s popular Facebook alternative Vkontakte.com (VK) for a large-scale operation.
In the VK group “Russian Hooligans”, the ultras have pledged to “unleash hell”. In May England football fans were warned not to wave the St George’s flag because it could spark violence and be seen as “antagonistic” and “imperialistic”.
Russian yobs attacked England supporters at Euro 2016 in France and posted snaps of dozens of stolen St George’s flags. England play their first World Cup group game against Tunisia on June 18. Police chief Mark Roberts, England’s head of football policing, said: “People need to be really careful with flags. It can come across as imperialistic and cause antagonism.”
He also warned England fans they face up to 15 years hard labour in jail if they are convicted of rioting.
Mr Roberts, deputy chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, also said fans would face an “avenue of police and military with batons, shields and guns’’ on their way to games.
He revealed Russian police observers were present when more than 100 England fans were arrested during riots in Amsterdam for the friendly match against Holland in March.
Troops took to the streets yesterday as Kiev mayor and ex-heavyweight boxing champ Vitali Klitschko stepped up security ahead of last night’s game.
Kiev cops said they had responded to 26 incidents in the build-up to the match. Prosecutors said they had opened 15 cases against foreign nationals but did not make clear how many of those were from Liverpool.
Kiev’s police chief Andriy Kryschenko said the the situation in the capital was last night “calm”.
Thousands of Liverpool fans had been in party mood earlier as they soaked up the sun. Builder Richard Johnson, 53, from Bootle, showed off a Liverpool tattoo on his back.
He and pal Noel Kirwan, 36, travelled from Liverpool via Belfast and Cyprus before arriving in Kiev. Richard said: “We couldn’t miss it.”
James Dever, 35, was also in the historic Independence Square. He unfurled a banner bearing the name of daughter Millie, 13 today.
James said: “The day she was born Liverpool were in Istanbul for the Champions League Final. I missed that game because I was at the birth.
“But she said I could come to this game so I got the locals to sing her happy birthday and sent a video.”