FRANCE: THE FRENCH TOWN OF ST ETIENNES PREPARES FOR AN INVASION OF ENGLAND AND ARGENTINA FOOTBALL FANS

Record ID: 646364

  • Title: FRANCE: THE FRENCH TOWN OF ST ETIENNES PREPARES FOR AN INVASION OF ENGLAND AND ARGENTINA FOOTBALL FANS
  • Date: 30th June 1998
  • Summary: ST ETIENNE, FRANCE (JUNE 30, 1998) 1. POLICE OUTSIDE MAIN STATION 2. ENGLAND FANS ARRIVE 3. POLICE 4. ARGENTINIAN FANS ARRIVE 5. ENGLISH COUPLE WITH PAINTED VAN 6. MAN SAYS THE TICKET SITUATION IS THE SAME AS IT WAS IN THE THREE OTHER GAMES. OUR ALLOCATION IS PITIFULLY LOW, TWO OR THREE THOUSAND. IT'S AN EXCELLENT WAY FOR FRENCH PEOPLE TO MAKE MONEY AND I BELIEVE THAT, ALONG WITH THE BEER, IS THE CAUSE OF A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS (ENGLISH) 7. CUTAWAY 8. VARIOUS ENGLAND FANS OUTSIDE CAFES 9. POLICE 10. WIDE ANGLE TOWN CENTRE 11. ST ETIENNE MAYOR MICHEL THIOLLIERE SAYS THE TOWN WILL NOT BE HAVING A GIANT SCREEN SHOWING THE ENGLAND ARGENTINA MATCH BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS IN SOME CITIES BECAUSE OF HOOLIGANS SO THE PREFECT DECIDED NOT TO SHOW THIS MATCH ON THE BIG SCREEN BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE THE SQUARE IS LIMITED IN SIZE AND CAN'T ABSORB THOUSANDS OF FANS, THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR RISK TO HAVE THOUSANDS OF FANS THERE WATCHING THE MATCH WITH ALL THE RISKS FOR A BIG COMPETITION LIKE THIS (ENGLISH) 12. VARIOUS ENGLAND FANS 13. VARIOUS ARGENTINA FANS 14. WIDE ANGLE TOWN STREET Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 15th July 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SAINT ETIENNE, FRANCE
  • City:
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA8FWITX9LY3ZJQFFHJLXT6EU6L
  • Story Text: The French town of St Etienne has been preparing for an invasion of England and Argentina football fans on Tuesday ahead of the potentially explosive second round World Cup match between the two countries.

    Tens of thousands of fans are expected to pour into central St Etienne, many without tickets, in the hours leading up to the game (June 30) The two countries' supporters have received an allocation of fewer than 5,000 tickets between them for the match in the 35,900-seat Geoffroy-Guichard stadium.

    Many supporters of both countries were to be found milling around the town centre holding up signs that they wanted to but tickets for the game.

    One English fan expressed the popularly held view that the ticket allocation for each country is pitifully low and was proving an excellent way for the French people to make money.

    Tuesday's match is regarded by English fans as a chance to have revenge for Argentina's defeat of England in the 1986 Cup quarter-final, a game won by two goals from Diego Maradona, the first a handball which the referee missed.

    So far there has been an atmosphere of calm in the town.

    Skirmishes late on Monday between English fans and local youths led to 14 arrests but the city centre was quiet nine hours before kick-off (1900 GMT).

    The spokesman said 14 people arrested on Monday included 11 Frenchmen and one English fan.French youths of North Africa origin, known as Beurs, started a fight with England supporters at around 10 p.m.(2000 GMT), he said..

    A police spokesman said that police were not imposing any extra security measures following Monday's incidents.

    Just as on Monday, bars and restaurants will close at about 1100 p.m.

    City authorities have decided to stage a concert to entertain fans in the Jean Joures square, rather than showing the match on giant screens.

    The five previous ties in Saint Etienne were all transmitted on the screens for thousands of supporters who failed to get tickets.

    St Etienne mayor Michel Thiolliere said that the town square was too small to absorb the thousands of fans who would congregate there to watch the match on the giant screen.


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