Euro 2016: FA chairman Greg Dyke fires back at Uefa and insists England fans were not to blame for Stade Velodrome violence
Boss said poor security allowed Russians to take fireworks and flares into the ground before they charged at Three Lions fans
GREG DYKE returned fire on Uefa after England were warned they could be kicked out of the Euros.
The FA chairman sent a strongly-worded letter to Europe’s governing body stressing that while English supporters misbehaved before Saturday’s Russia match, they were not to blame for the shocking trouble inside the stadium.
Boss Roy Hodgson and skipper Wayne Rooney urged fans for calm as it emerged 150 drug-fuelled “hyper violent” Russians are heading for Lille and more potential clashes with England followers, who will be in nearby Lens for Thursday’s Wales game.
Dyke complained that poor security allowed the Russians to take fireworks and flares into the ground before they charged at Three Lions fans after the 1-1 draw.
Dyke said: “The implication is that English fans were in part responsible for the terrible incidents at the end of the match.
“This is contradicted by the video evidence and the fact your disciplinary bodies have only instigated sanctions against the Russian Football Union.
“The only blame apportioned in your letter for the event inside the stadium is to ‘so-called supporters’ when it could be suggested there were other factors involved.
“We believe the stewarding arrangements were unacceptable. Supporters got in with fireworks and flares and let them off and there was insufficient segregation.”
Dyke, conceding some English fans had shamed the nation, condemned the “horrible scenes in Marseilles away from the stadium on Thursday, Friday and matchday”.
He added: “A minority of English fans were involved and that is extremely disappointing.
“But tens of thousands have behaved in a positive way.”
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The Russian FA will today discover their punishments after being charged for their fans’ behaviour.
Reacting to the news England could be KO’d, Hodgson said: “I’m very concerned at the threat hanging over us.
“I am appealing to you to stay out of trouble and to try to make certain these threats being issued are never carried out.”
Rooney added: “I’d like to ask the fans, please if you dn’t have a ticket, don’t travel and for the fans with tickets be safe and sensible.”
The fears of more problems, though, were stoked by Marseilles prosecutor Brice Robin, who said: “They were hyper-rapid and hyper-violent, extreme and well-trained.”
That view was intensified as Igor Lebedev, a member of the RFU’s executive committee PRAISED his country’s vicious yobs.
Lebedev, also a Russian MP, said: “I do not see anything terrible in fighting fans. On the contrary, well done, our guys. Keep it up!
“The lads defended the honour of their country and did not let English fans desecrate our motherland.”
Meanwhile, Kevin Miles, head of the Football Supporters’ Federation, suggested being expelled would be an over-reaction.
He said: “Any misdemeanours that you saw involving English supporters in Marseilles paled into insignificance when you saw the organised brutality from some of the Russian hooligan groups.”
