Just another hooligan day?

From svt:
Huliganbråk i centrala GöteborgPublicerad 10 februari 2007 - 20:47
Ett 20tal fotbollssupportrar slogs med varandra nära Kungsplatsen i centrala Göteborg vid 17-tiden i dag.
En person misshandlades och en restaurang på Östra Hamngatan fick sina fönster krossade.
Det var supportrar från Gais och IFK Göteborg som drabbade samman.
En person greps misstänkt för grov skadegörelse av restaurangen och nio personer omhändertogs för störande av den allmänna ordningen eller fylleri i samband med bråket.

So there I was, sitting down in the Dubliner chatting away with a couple of men from the old country watching the Scotland versus Wales match. Very important match for the Scots after last weeks thrashing by the English and of course on home ground.

I noticed a small crowd coming in the pub wearing green/white scarfs looking worried at the door of the pub.Suddenly they started saying "here they come" and pick up empty beer glasses from the bar.Then the shit hit the fan! I couldn't see who they were referring too but I did notice a crowd had gathered outside the pub and without further a do they started throwing everything within hand reach at the pub doors, which duly smashed the glass and provoked panamodium throughout a busy pub on a saturday afternoon. What was strange was the fact that nobody really reacted to the guys throwing the stuff within the pub.
Then from now where came a crashing sound around us as all the large windows were smashed, sometimes you could actually hear repeated attempts to break the thick glass and it finally gave in and glass came smashing down from every quarter. Things came flying through the empty space and by this time panic had hit the punters on the inside.
Everything happened really quickly and you couldn't see who was responsible for what.Too much panic.
Then all was quiet and the once busy pub was emptied, most of the people had left through the rear of the pub. There was a sea of glass on the ground, bits of broken chair, gloves and even shoes left lying around in now a deserted pub. More importantly however, Scotland were attacking Wales in the 22 and trying to score with 38 minutes on the score board and half time looming...
I asked the barman if it was ok if I stayed despite the wreckage and even tried to get another beer as mine went down with the rest of them as we sat next to the windows, the waitress added -"you must be joking..."
- "Why would I be joking" I kept to myself..she was still in shock from the ordeal.

I have to admit to feeling rather guilty when everyone around me cleaned up the mess as I stood and watched the second half. As I looked outside I saw a street fight start across the road and memories of the good old days in Musselburgh came flooding back between the Hibs and Hearts fans..They used to get on different buses at different bus stops to make the long trek to easter road so they could have a fight up there and then get back on the bus and get off at a Hibs or hearts bus stop!
The difference here was the fact that the cops still hadn't turned up and the culprits that had been fighting across the road stopped and jumped into a taxi.I suppose thats what you'd call modern times.

What a mess.What a waste of time and effort and why? Football is just used as an excuse, nothing more nothing less.Its tribal and looking at the age of the guys it doesn't seem to have changed much.
Good news is of course that Scotland went on to the win the game.

Not just another day I suppose..