Football Madness in Egypt

Holy crap. This is taking hooliganism to another level:

The death toll rose to at least 73 people late Wednesday after hooligans from the winning team stormed onto the field after an Egyptian soccer match between two longtime rivals and attacked opposing players and fans.

Violence broke out in the coastal town of Port Said after that city’s team won a rare victory over the visiting Ahly, a powerhouse club from Cairo. Port Said supporters rushed the field immediately after the game as chaos spread and players and fans from Ahly ran for cover beneath the stadium and into locker rooms.

Egyptian TV quoted medical authorities as saying at least 73 people had been killed. Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the nation’s military ruler, dispatched military planes to Port Said to pick up Ahly players and fans and return them to Cairo.

Security officials feared the riot would lead to retaliation by Ahly hooligans, known as Ultras. The group was involved in the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo in September, and its members have been on the front lines in the recent deadly clashes between antigovernment protesters and riot police and soldiers.

Philadelphia Union fans are considerably better behaved. They don’t go around attacking embassies and killing the opposing fans. And Philly is not known for the good behavior of its fans. That’s part of why I chose to root for New York teams even though both were on my teevee.

Interestingly, the former head coach of the U.S. Men National Soccer Team, Bob Bradley, is now the national coach for Egypt and will try to get them into the World Cup. Hooliganism is widespread, but this might be the worst case of it ever seen. The death toll is already much higher than in the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster.

It’s senseless. I love soccer, but it’s just a game.

10 Comments

TarheelDem on February 1, 2012 at 5:29 pm

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the nation’s military ruler, dispatched military planes to Port Said to pick up Ahly players and fans and return them to Cairo…

The group was involved in the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo in September, and its members have been on the front lines in the recent deadly clashes between antigovernment protesters and riot police and soldiers.

I find this very strange. Which side were the Ahly protesters on in those earlier clashes?

It might not just be a matter of hooliganism.

BooMan on February 1, 2012 at 5:47 pm

yeah, I have no idea. I thought about that, too. But it sounds like this is the Manchester United of Egypt we’re talking about. So, a high priority to protect the stars regardless of the politics of their fans.
- Drew J Jones on February 1, 2012 at 7:19 pm
  
  Surely they can’t measure up to Man U. Man U is right up there with the Yankees and Patriots/Steelers in terms of evil.
  
  These guys are the Greensboro Grasshoppers by comparison.
  - BooMan on February 1, 2012 at 7:48 pm
    
    I meant that they’re one of the best teams in Egypt.
    - Drew J Jones on February 2, 2012 at 6:09 am
      
      Oh, I know, I’m just saying.

Oui on February 1, 2012 at 6:52 pm

Egyptian battle lines harden as ultras learn from failures of past Arab revolutionaries

In a statement on their Facebook page that has some 255,000 followers, Ultras Ahlawy said that it would defy the spectator ban in the match against Ismaily to deliver a message to “all remnants of the ousted regime” that they would not obey their “manipulated regime.”

In their statement, the ultras said: “The issue is bigger than football. We want to settle the score with remnants of the former regime, under the leadership of Samir Zaher, and their oppression of Egyptian youth.”

UWK issued a similar statement saying that “we suffered a lot from injustice and repression in the past, but we stood up to that with pride. We fought with all our might to maintain our principles and freedom. We thought justice and freedom would come after our revolution. We will continue in our defense of freedom even with our blood. Our war with the EFA will continue until we win and see the corrupt people in prison.”

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood – which has emerged as Egypt’s biggest party in recent elections – blamed supporters of ousted President Hosni Mubarak for the violence.
“The events in Port Said are planned and are a message from the remnants of the former regime,” Muslim Brotherhood lawmaker Essam al-Erian said.

History Ultras Ahlawy

History Soccer deaths during matches

"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."

TarheelDem on February 1, 2012 at 9:20 pm

I do believe this is the story. The old security forces and other Mubarak loyalists wanting to (1) punish members of the anti-military movement and (2) justify the need for upping the strength and latitude of the security forces again.

Watch this one. It could get very interesting.
- joe from Lowell on February 1, 2012 at 10:58 pm
  
  Yep, definitely creepy.
  
  Not just a deadly soccer riot – the most deadly soccer riot in history.
  
  Uh huh.

Drew J Jones on February 1, 2012 at 7:23 pm

I enjoy soccer every four years when the World Cup rolls around. At any other time, it’s not soccer. It’s theatrical grass-diving.

And let’s be honest: When you’re worse than Philly fans, you’re not human anymore, and you probably belong either in prison or in a zoo.

Quaker in a Basement on February 1, 2012 at 8:14 pm

The attackers were coming off a win?

What are these people like when their team loses?

TarheelDem on February 1, 2012 at 5:29 pm

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the nation’s military ruler, dispatched military planes to Port Said to pick up Ahly players and fans and return them to Cairo…

The group was involved in the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo in September, and its members have been on the front lines in the recent deadly clashes between antigovernment protesters and riot police and soldiers.

I find this very strange. Which side were the Ahly protesters on in those earlier clashes?

It might not just be a matter of hooliganism.
- BooMan on February 1, 2012 at 5:47 pm
  
  yeah, I have no idea. I thought about that, too. But it sounds like this is the Manchester United of Egypt we’re talking about. So, a high priority to protect the stars regardless of the politics of their fans.
  - Drew J Jones on February 1, 2012 at 7:19 pm
    
    Surely they can’t measure up to Man U. Man U is right up there with the Yankees and Patriots/Steelers in terms of evil.
    
    These guys are the Greensboro Grasshoppers by comparison.
    - BooMan on February 1, 2012 at 7:48 pm
      
      I meant that they’re one of the best teams in Egypt.
      - Drew J Jones on February 2, 2012 at 6:09 am
        
        Oh, I know, I’m just saying.
Oui on February 1, 2012 at 6:52 pm
.
Egyptian battle lines harden as ultras learn from failures of past Arab revolutionaries

In a statement on their Facebook page that has some 255,000 followers, Ultras Ahlawy said that it would defy the spectator ban in the match against Ismaily to deliver a message to “all remnants of the ousted regime” that they would not obey their “manipulated regime.”

In their statement, the ultras said: “The issue is bigger than football. We want to settle the score with remnants of the former regime, under the leadership of Samir Zaher, and their oppression of Egyptian youth.”

UWK issued a similar statement saying that “we suffered a lot from injustice and repression in the past, but we stood up to that with pride. We fought with all our might to maintain our principles and freedom. We thought justice and freedom would come after our revolution. We will continue in our defense of freedom even with our blood. Our war with the EFA will continue until we win and see the corrupt people in prison.”

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood – which has emerged as Egypt’s biggest party in recent elections – blamed supporters of ousted President Hosni Mubarak for the violence.
“The events in Port Said are planned and are a message from the remnants of the former regime,” Muslim Brotherhood lawmaker Essam al-Erian said.

History Ultras Ahlawy
- History Soccer deaths during matches
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
- TarheelDem on February 1, 2012 at 9:20 pm
  
  I do believe this is the story. The old security forces and other Mubarak loyalists wanting to (1) punish members of the anti-military movement and (2) justify the need for upping the strength and latitude of the security forces again.
  
  Watch this one. It could get very interesting.
  - joe from Lowell on February 1, 2012 at 10:58 pm
    
    Yep, definitely creepy.
    
    Not just a deadly soccer riot – the most deadly soccer riot in history.
    
    Uh huh.
Drew J Jones on February 1, 2012 at 7:23 pm

I enjoy soccer every four years when the World Cup rolls around. At any other time, it’s not soccer. It’s theatrical grass-diving.

And let’s be honest: When you’re worse than Philly fans, you’re not human anymore, and you probably belong either in prison or in a zoo.
Quaker in a Basement on February 1, 2012 at 8:14 pm

The attackers were coming off a win?

What are these people like when their team loses?

Football Madness in Egypt

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