PORTUGAL: SOCCER - DAVID SWIFT, DEPUTY CHIEF CONSTABLE OF STAFFORDSHIRE POLICE, INTERVIEWED IN LISBON, WARNS ENGLISH FOOTBALL FANS NOT TO SING RACIST CHANTS.

Record ID: 190181

  • Title: PORTUGAL: SOCCER - DAVID SWIFT, DEPUTY CHIEF CONSTABLE OF STAFFORDSHIRE POLICE, INTERVIEWED IN LISBON, WARNS ENGLISH FOOTBALL FANS NOT TO SING RACIST CHANTS.
  • Date: 11th June 2004
  • Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (JUNE 11, 2004)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. EXTERIOR OF BRITISH EMBASSY 2. SIGN FOR BRITISH EMBASSY 3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DAVID SWIFT, DEPUTY CHIEF CONSTABLE OF STAFFORDSHIRE POLICE, SAYING, "We have 2,700 people who were banned from the UK because we think they are representing public disorder. Additional to that we have individuals over here working with the Portuguese who are collecting evidence using video tapes and they will help the Portuguese if there is any evidence issue required here or alternatively we can use these materials back home to prevent those individuals from traveling again causing problem." 4. CUTAWAY 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID SWIFT, DEPUTY CHIEF CONSTABLE OF STAFFORDSHIRE POLICE, SAYING, "Historically in England we had a problem with racist chanting at football games and we have done amount of work and virtually stopped it out in English games when it does occur so we pursued vigorously. I want to say that we can actually followed the same strategy here in Portugal if a few number of people start using racist chanting we will collect evidence against them and seek to get them banned from traveling for future games." 6. WIDE OF DAVID SWIFT BEING INTERVIEWED Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 26th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
  • Country: Portugal
  • Reuters ID: LVA9140OPSI7HQB1XNA3UYWTYL9Q
  • Story Text: England fans at the Euro 2004 tournament have been
    warned by the English police not to sing racist chants.



    British police are keeping a close eye on racist
    chanting at Europe 2004 and will use any evidence to lay
    charges back in England, the head of the British police
    force at the tournament said on Friday.

    "Historically in England we had a problem with racist
    chanting at football games and we have done amount of work
    and virtually stopped it out in English games when it does
    occur so we pursued vigorously. I want to say that we can
    actually followed the same strategy here in Portugal if a
    few number of people start using racist chanting we will
    collect evidence against them and seek to get them banned
    from traveling for future games. David Swift , deputy
    constable of Staffordshire police told Reuters.

    Three Britons have been arrested in the southern
    Algarve area on charges of ticket-touting, he said. This
    week 23,000 Britons are expected to arrive in Portugal
    ahead of Sunday's opening England match against champions
    France.

    There have been no reports of violence involving
    English fans who rioted during the last European
    Championship in Belgium and the Netherlands.

    England have been warned they will be thrown out of
    this tournament if there is a repeat.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register