FROM Molotov cocktails torching the street to dodging flying beer bottles, travelling around the world with England fans as a reporter hasn’t always been easy.
I’ve witnessed the very worst soccer savagery up close for decades, fleeing Russian psycho yobs and bloody street battles, and seeing shocking police brutality play out, from Italia ’90 to last year’s Euros in Germany… But nothing quite terrifies me like what will come on Tuesday night.
A special sense of trepidation troubles me as I prepare to fly to Belgrade for England‘s crucial World Cup qualifier against Serbia, as Ultras – whose leaders are closely allied to Serbia’s hardline rulers, who themselves have maintained close links with Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin – could spark violent clashes.
Anxious UK police assessing the threat to travelling fans have declared tomorrow night’s game “high risk.”
And it’s easy to see why.
Last summer, the worst violence involving England fans at the Euros in Germany erupted before our first game against Serbia in the city of Gelsenkirchen.
Rushing towards the sound of police sirens and breaking glass, I saw a young England fan with blood pouring from a gaping head wound as yobs fought a pitched battle.
Chaos flared around a restaurant five hours before kick-off leaving streets carpeted with missiles and glass as 200 German riot police battled to restore order.
Hooligan intelligence cops said 500 Ultras were among around 8,000 Serbs in Germany confronting 40,000 England fans.
Police at the scene said they believed the English had started the trouble – but English fans blamed the Serb hooligans, who had stormed their own team’s training session a day earlier.
But tomorrow the scales will tipped heavily against 2,500 England fans outnumbered by as much as 20-1 by their hosts at the 51,755 seat Rajko Mitić Stadium.
And a “Welcome to Hell” atmosphere is assured for both fans and players as the crumbling open-air bowl blazes with flares and fan fervour.
England’s players led out by captain Harry Kane and German team coach Thomas Tuchel face one of the longest and most intimidating tunnel walks in world football to reach the pitch.
Players will walk 240 metres – 787 ft – through a claustrophobic chasm emblazoned with murals to the arena, plus an extra protective tunnel to steer them clear of Ultras thronging the stands. (See the full footage here)
Ultras leaders have kept close links to hardline Serbian rulers – aligned with Russian despot Putin – despite the nation’s quest for EU membership.
Vučić’s son Danilo, 27, regularly rubs shoulders with Ultras and was reported to have attempted to join in the melee with England fans in Gelsenkirchen.
Fiery flares blaze throughout home games within the tired concrete facade of 62-year-old stadium, casting a pall over the pitch.
Ultra hatred at games at the home of Red Star Belgrade, has been focused for years on ethnic Albanians in neighbouring Kosovo.
But their ultra nationalist fervour has also been coupled with vile racist chants which has led to a string of partial stadium bans.
Part of the ground will be closed off and declared “sterile” after racist abuse marred the last World Cup qualifier at the Belgrade Stadium against soccer minnows Andorra.
And black players in Tuchel’s team have already been cleared to walk off the pitch and halt tomorrow’s game if sick monkey chanting or similar abuse is heard.
Violence from Ultras in football
Violent Ultras groups have sparked violence and chaos in football games for decades.
Just last year, it was revealed that some of these groups had been organising sick Fight-Club style brawls in forests across Europe to avoid detection by police.
Carnage at the 2016 Euros saw Russian Ultras launch one of the bloodiest hooligan brawls in a generation on England fans, leaving more than 100 Three Lions supporters “walking wounded”, with some in critical condition.
Ultras are groups of fans known for their fanatical support of club or country.
During games, they’re often seen burning flares and using smoke bombs as well as playing musical instruments, such as drums.
On top of this, and singing chants, producing elaborate tifos and displays, and displaying flags and banners at stadiums, they have been known for scenes of football hooliganism and violence.
During the 2023 Europa Conference League semi-final between West Ham and AZ Alkmaar, scenes turned ugly after the east London side secured victory.
The Dutch fans reacted angrily to the Hammers’ 1-0 win, sparking AZ Alkmaar Ultras to attack a group of travelling friends and family of the Hammers’ players and coaching staff sat behind the dugout.
Several West Ham players, including sporting director Mark Noble, rushed to help protect them from the thugs – who were dressed in black and wearing balaclavas.
Alkmaar fans were also caught up in the violence.
Earlier this year, Aston Villa fans were “deliberately targeted” by violent PSG Ultras ahead of their Champions League match in Paris.
The attack saw a “large gang of PSG Ultras, many with hoods pulled up, deliberately target Aston Villa fans”.
Shocking footage from the attack shows the PSG fans attacking the English fans outside the Irish pub.
The aggressive fans can be seen throwing glasses and chairs, before starting fist fights.
The cops were called to the scene but did not arrive in time to make any arrests of the PSG attackers, who were “extremely well organised,” said a source linked to French police.
Serbian Ultras have earned a fearsome reputation for some of Europe’s most extreme soccer violence among gangs dubbed the Gravediggers and Headhunters.
The wildest clashes centre of the powder keg local derbies between Red Star and hated rivals Partizan.
But a core of violent Ultras are also attached to the national team and are set to be out in force tomorrow night.
Their most notorious soccer savage is Ivan “The Terrible” Bogdanov – a tattooed hardman who has even terrorised Serbia’s players.
Bogdanov was among Serbian fans who attacked their own team’s bus before a Euro 2012 qualifier in Genoa, Italy.
He was alleged to have confronted goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic for committing the unforgivable crime of switching Bogdanov’s team, Red Star Belgrade to rival club Partizan.
Bogdanov – who has been linked to far-Right paramilitaries – went on to start a riot which led to the 2010 game being abandoned after just six minutes.
The balaclava-clad thug was pictured sitting on a fence that separated Serbian supporters from their Italian hosts at Genoa’s Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris stadium.
He was jailed after being caught with wire cutters in one hand to hack through the barrier and a flaming flare in the other.
PLANNING MEETINGS HELD TO KEEP FANS SAFE
A UK police team of trained spotters led by top UK football policing cop Supt Gareth Parkin held top level planning meetings with Serbian security chiefs in April and May.
Travelling fans have been urged to stay together in groups in the main squares and tourist areas of the Serbian capital.
They were also being strongly advised to use a fleet of buses being laid on to ferry them under police escort from the city centre of the stadium.
A booze ban will not be enforced in the city but no alcohol will be sold in the arena or from nearby outlets.
Superintendent Parkin told The Sun: “We would class it as a high risk fixture – I know the local authorities are treating it as high risk.
“The local authorities, the local police were reassuring us that there’s a robust policing plan and operation in place to keep everybody visiting safe.
“They manage a very passionate local derby and a number of European fixtures and we will also do all we can to ensure 2,500 travelling England fans can be safe and enjoy the game.
“Our advice is to stick to the main tourist areas and be respectful of cultures and the different countries.
“We’re fully aware of the Ultras. The local authorities have assured they’re fully sighted on our concerns.”
Supt Parkin said England fans who would definitely not be in Belgrade were the 16 arrested after the clashes with Serbian yobs in Germany.
They have been issued with soccer banning orders blocking their travel to away games.
But it remained unclear what action was taken against the Serb yobs involved in the same incident – or whether they could be seeking a rematch.
Supt Parkin said: “There’s nothing to suggest that this is any different to any other high risk fixture which may happen anywhere else in Europe really.
“There are many factors which can play into the scoring and the rating of a particular fixture.
“But the local authorities have assured us they will have enough police on duty and they’re fairly confident that fans will be able to enjoy Belgrade and enjoy the football as well.”
In my own lengthy experience of covering England matches abroad, games tagged “high risk” often live up to their billing.
It takes just one small spark – often a determined thug, a drunken idiot or an over-zealous cop – to trigger shameful scenes which tarnish The Beautiful Game.
And I’ll be hoping my worst fears prove groundless over the next 48 hours.
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