We want answers now, say family of fan who died
Calls for probe grow into England trip tragedy Bulgarian authorities accused of ignoring pleas
Pressure is growing on the Foreign Office and Bulgarian police to launch an investigation into how Rob Spray, a 32-year-old England football supporter, died in custody, as his family wait to find out when his body will be returned home.
Local reports have claimed the results of the Sofia police toxicology tests are expected to be revealed today, which may provide some information on Spray’s mysterious death.
But family and friends still fear their efforts to find out what happened are falling on deaf ears because Spray was written off as a “hooligan” – even though the tragic trip to Sofia was his first following England.
Spray’s sister, Katie Brown, is considering hiring a private detective as she awaits answers from the Foreign Office and Bulgarian police. The fundraising page set up to repatriate Spray’s body has now passed £20,000 and any remaining money will go to his father’s battle against prostate cancer.
Spray’s family want an independent inquiry following his death last Monday, ahead of England’s Euro 2020 qualifying game against Bulgaria. That call has been backed by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) human rights group and Staffordshire Police.
But Spray’s family have so far been frustrated in their attempts to gain more information from the Foreign Office and Bulgarian police. Amanda Milling, MP for Cannock Chase, would not confirm whether she would back the case, but it is understood she intends to discuss the matter with Dominic Raab, the
Foreign Secretary. Andrew Mcmath, a childhood friend of Spray who organised the trip to Sofia for his own 30th birthday, is concerned that the handling of the death has been marred by incorrect assumptions that his friend was a hooligan.
Like his family, Mcmath wants answers over the original reports released by the Bulgarian interior ministry claiming that Spray had been found in a helpless condition in the centre of Sofia and taken to hospital before police were called, when he began behaving aggressively. He died in police custody.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Mcmath said: “Because it was an England fan who had died, it felt like nobody really cared and that we didn’t have any proper help or advice. But it was his first England away trip and there are two differthe
‘There are two different types of England supporter – the idiots and the guys like us’
ent types of England fan – the idiots and the guys like us.
“It felt like everyone just looked at us as England hooligans or yobs and, from what people have said, it feels like that’s how he would have been treated at the hospital as well.
“But he would have been scared. He was too scared to come to Russia for the World Cup and he would have been scared that he woke up in a foreign hospital. He wouldn’t have wanted to be there.”
The BHC, a non-governmental human rights organisation based in Sofia, has agreed to take on Spray’s case. Spokesman Radoslav Stoyanov said: “The circumstances leading to the death are, indeed, raising serious questions. Such deaths in the hands of the authorities are not common and we will try to learn as much as possible about case. We will call for prompt and thorough investigation.”
The BHC has carried out research into police brutality. In its annual report, a team conducted a survey among inmates in Bulgarian prisons and found that 15.5 per cent reported the use of force against them during detention, with that number rising to 21.6 per cent among those inside a police station.
Mcmath witnessed first-hand the approach the Bulgarian police took to English football fans.
He said: “Everybody was treated like a hooligan. The night before Rob died, we were standing outside a bar, not singing and we hadn’t put any flags up.
“I’ve travelled with England and I know they can be rowdy and people can get upset by some of the lads who travel.
“You can get the idiots, but we were minding our own business and the police came over and literally pushed one lad in the back of the neck and said, ‘Get gone or police cell 10 minutes.’ So we left and that was about 3am.
“There was a rowdy bar with all the flags and things, but we were up the road. We were in the rowdy bar for a bit, but we moved on down the road to try to avoid any trouble because there were some police around looking quite intimidating. That was in central Sofia.”
When contacted by The Telegraph, Bulgarian police would advise only to contact the British Embassy.
Staffordshire Police confirmed they were seeking more information from the Bulgarian authorities and the Foreign Office.
The Foreign Office said they were supporting Spray’s family and liaising with the Bulgarian authorities.
Spray was a West Bromwich Albion season ticket-holder and the club have agreed to honour him at their next home game, against Barnsley on Tuesday.