Slovakian hooligans wearing England shirts vow violence tonight after Euro 2016 game… and pick up where Russia left off
'Maddest and baddest' will be in St Etienne as country does not have banning orders
SLOVAKIA'S 'maddest and baddest' football yobs will be free to roam France to 'finish' England supporters as the country does not issue hooligan banning orders.
Right-wing yobs have vowed to take over where the Russian Ultras left off and terrorise innocent Three Lions fans on the streets of St Etienne before and after tonight's match.
There was trouble between the two sets of fans when they met in the Euro 2004 qualifiers in Bratislava in 2002.
Some have already taken to the internet to issue their threats.
A fan of slavic side FC Nitra posted on a fan site: "The big game is England.
"It could be our last. We will finish them.'
Another vowed: "Our maddest and baddest will be there. England better watch out."
Slovakian football hooligans are among the worse behaved in Europe.
Their domestic games can be brutal, with mass brawls regularly erupting between football firms like the Trenchtown Gangsters, the Terror Boys, Rebels VSS, the Bulldogs ’95 and the Red Upland Warriors.
Some thugs are known to carry knives, wear knuckle dusters and even brandish firearms, reports the .
Slovakian fans wear Burberry hats and mimic popular Three Lions chants. Some even wear England shirts to games.
The National Police Chief’s Council believe the UK is “one of the few” countries stopping the worst footie thugs from going to France.
No such rule applies to the biggest and hardest Slovakian thugs though.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: "The UK is one of a few countries that have legislative powers to stop those subject to football banning orders from travelling to games overseas."
But security officials for the match have said they are “not particularly worried” about fans causing trouble in the small town.
Karine Lanaud, from the Loire prefecture which is in charge of security for the region, said that local authorities were relaxed about the English invasion and were not planning to strengthen security measures.
“Our security measures will remain the same and we’ll play it by ear,” she said.
Inside the stadium, however, Uefa confirmed there will be “special arrangements” in place due to the arrival of Prince William today who will cheer on England for their final group match.
More than 1,100 police officers are being deployed in the Saint Etienne area and 51 soldiers mobilised as thousands of fans descended on the town.
A total of 839 privately-hired security agents are also helping to monitor Slovakia and England supporters.
The game is regarded as a high-risk match because of a history of trouble between the two sides when supporters have fought each other in the past.
In Saint-Etienne shops and supermarkets have been banned from selling alcohol to fans on match days from 10:00 pm until the next morning – although the restrictions have been hard to enforce.
Top official Evence Richard said: “For security reasons, selling alcohol in public spaces will be banned. And we will ask hotel, restaurant and cafe owners to remove their terraces to make sure chairs and tables won’t be used as projectiles if things go wrong.”
The town has fully embraced the spirit of the tournament, with a festival atmosphere in stark contrast to the tension felt in Marseille and Lille, where England supporters clashed with fans and police.
A fan “village” has been set up in the main square, in addition to the formal main fan zone, and there is even a “fan camp” for those wishing to use tents and use a park and ride shuttle.
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Restaurant owner Camille Meunier, 48, said everyone in the town was grateful for the tourists.
She said: “We do not get many visitors to Saint-Etienne, that is why the tournament is so good. We love to welcome them all as it is very good for business.
“We hope people will visit the shops and cafes and restaurants in the town – not just in the fan zone – because we have great food here.
“Everyone is friendly and there will not be any trouble here.”
Bar owners in St Etienne had created a 'Glastonbury style' atmosphere in the match city with music sound systems and circus acts for fans to enjoy ahead of the game.
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