England fans will have Russia issues after Amsterdam – police

Sarah Winterburn

The behaviour of England fans in Amsterdam could set back talks between English and Russian police ahead of the World Cup.

More than 100 fans were arrested in the build-up to England’s clash with the Netherlands, with videos emerging of anti-social behaviour across the Dutch capital.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council has been working with Russian authorities in an attempt to persuade their police officers to be less heavy-handed with English fans, but they now fear that those pleas will fall on deaf ears.

Deputy chief constable Mark Roberts told BBC Radio 5 Live: “When people behave as they did at the weekend, it becomes harder for us to try and influence the policing styles.

“They’ve been engaging up until now in terms of understanding how best to deal with England supporters.

“When we’re trying to persuade them that the majority of fans don’t cause problems, scenes like that over the weekend does make life harder.

“I am concerned that all the efforts we’ve made to try and help the Russian authorities understand the difficult dynamics of England supporters have gone to waste.”

 

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