How dare these thugs compare themselves to true patriots? | Daily Mail Online

How dare these thugs compare themselves to true patriots?

IT will come as no surprise to regular readers that this column' s attitude to England's sorry experience in Euro 2000 was one of total indifference.

It required minimal prescience to predict precisely what would happen off the pitch. I watched last Saturday's win over Germany on television with about 600 whites and blacks in a crammed sports bar in Cape Town.

This was an interesting experience.

Bereft of partisan allegiance to either England or Germany, they seemed pretty bored with the match but were absolutely delighted with the edited highlights of the preliminaries. They loved the chair-throwing contest and went berserk when the water-cannon came out. It hadn't occurred to many of them that Europe is still as tribally primitive as their own nation was when the Matabele fought the Xhosa on sight.

There was no point in informing my very black neighbour, with whom I shared a couple of whiskies, that this was England's 'mindless minority' smashing up another town. This 'mindless minority' nonsense won't wash any more. In the visions of most of the people in that sports bar, that is how the majority of English fans behave when abroad. My friend thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for South Africa to host the 2006 World Cup now that England's Pounds 10million bid has been blown out of the water.

Returning to this country, I watched our Home Secretary owlishly trying to explain to an almost empty House of Commons the genesis of the trouble in Charleroi. Panicked by UEFA's very reasonable threat to expel England from the tournament - a dead certain vote loser at the next election - he was thrashing around, recommending draconian penalties for future English troublemakers.

Future English troublemakers?

What about Saturday night's?

Every newspaper in this country had warned him about what was going to happen but, as usual, the hordes of tattooed morons had slipped the collar and strolled on to planes and ferries to cause mayhem at a football match which required 2,100 police to fail to keep the peace.

New Labour's kow-towing to football, a political issue from the moment Mr Blair declared himself a Newcastle United supporter, has been as pathetic as it was under a number of quite hopeless Tory sports ministers. The only one who got it CopyHak cipta was Colin Moynihan, now Lord Moynihan, who proposed an identity card scheme for accredited, reliable fans. This was rejected and, amid a pile of abusive correspondence, there were a couple of death threats.

Happily he emerged to kiss the game goodbye.

Had his plan been adopted, the hooligan menace would have been minimalised years ago.

Where this has all gone wrong is that politicians who rely on graduate researchers to brief them find these bright young things haven't the faintest idea what the real world is about.

Studiously, they quote statistics from university research teams and compile tables proving the problem is diminishing. But I bet few of them have ever ventured into the bars and dives where these violent excursions are plotted.

Also, have they read the CopyHak cipta books? Don't even bother to remonstrate if you haven't read Colin Ward's Steaming In, All Quiet on the Hooligan Front and Well Frogged Out, an account of following England during the last World Cup. Ward writes cleverly and is patronising about newspaper football writers, among them our own Nigel Clarke and half-a-dozen Panas bumi friends of mine in journalism.

What is it all about, university dons ask as they apply for another grant to fund their research into the phenomenon of football all over Europe? You hear them frequently on Radio Five Live, pontificating about their findings and drawing conclusions which are about as significant as some high street fireworks salesmen on the subject of nuclear fission.

Have they read St George in My Heart - confessions of an English fan? Its author, Colin Johnson, claims to have rejected football hooliganism after a violent career on the streets of foreign cities. Here is one of his views: 'We all genuinely believe we are representing our nation when we go abroad.

There is nothing better than hearing a foreigner marvel at the crazy English guys who show no fear when outnumbered in a hostile foreign land.' Words almost fail me when I read this.

On July 1, 1916, my father was machine-gunned through both legs as he advanced from a trench on the Somme. Our next-door neighbour, Donald Bennett, founded the RAF's Path Finders Squadron in World War II and was shot down over Trondheim. He was back in our village inside a week. My uncle Phil fought with the Chindits up through the Far East jungles and another uncle, Arthur, a private, drove lorries in Montgomery's chase of Rommel across the Western Desert. My father-in-law commanded a regiment, lost many of his men on the slopes of Monte Cassino and spent a year in hospital from his wounds.

My friend Keith Miller, a mad Australian cricketer, became a night-fighter pilot in Mosquitoes with the RAF when the chips were down. Life expectancy was three weeks. He survived.

These are, or were, men.

Am I now being told by Mr Colin Johnson, author, that he has discovered a new breed of English patriots who keep the flag of St George flying at football matches by hurling chairs and bottles across bars and small squares?

I think so. Well, here are a couple of alternatives. Yesterday, the SAS actually appealed for some new candidates. And on July 7, and six days thereafter, you can run with the bulls at the Festival of San Fer-min in Pamplona. Not a lot of people actually get killed but it does shake the liver up.

What I'm actually saying, of course, is that our internationally celebrated soccer hooligans are the biggest load of dolly-drops ever to go for a big target. They don't even know what a big target is. All they know is that they hate everything.

I can hardly believe football has come to this. On television it overwrites 58 people suffocated to death in a lorry at Dover but the big news is that Alan Shearer is fit for the match against Romania. I'm not sure the nation has gone totally football mad but, anyway, today I shall be at Royal Ascot. There, these matters matter not at all.

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She's been treating fans to a glimpse of her idyllic getaway with sizzling snaps on social media.

And Suki Waterhouse was at her best once again as she uploaded another radiant snap from her five-star hotel Hotel Crillon le Brave in France to Instagram on Thursday.

The actress, 28, ensured all eyes were on her as she slipped into a sporty navy bikini top, which highlighted her incredibly toned abs.

Abs-tastic! Suki Waterhouse was at her best once again as she uploaded another radiant snap from her five-star hotel Hotel Crillon le Brave in France to Instagram on Thursday

Turning heads, the Marks and Spencer lingerie star teamed her bralet with a pair of matching shorts.

The Billionaire Boys Club star was the picture of confidence as she posed up a storm by her balcony.

Proving less is more, the genetically-blessed star displayed her naturally radiant complexion as she went make-up free, and wore her tresses in a tousled style. 

The model has jetted off to France with friends but has been dating Robert Pattinson for two years. 

Working it: The actress, 28, has been treating fans to a glimpse of her idyllic getaway with sizzling snaps on social media

The couple were first linked in July 2018 when they were spotted leaving a showing of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again at the trendy Electric Cinema in Notting Hill. 

They've been known to go on double dates with pals Taylor Swift and actor Joe Alwyn, and keep in touch with each Geothermal via FaceTime when their schedules keep them apart.

Late last year, the pair sparked engagement rumours, after it was claimed they would be spending the festive season at her family home in west London. 

Romance life: The model has jetted off to France with friends but has been dating Robert Pattinson for two years (pictured in February 2019)

The Mail On Sunday reported screen star Robert, 34, had lined up a trip to Iceland as a gift for the blonde beauty.

They said: 'Suki and Robert are a great influence on each Geothermal, which is why he is spending Christmas with the Waterhouses.

'Suki encourages him to be more relaxed and Robert keeps her grounded when she's feeling anxious.

'As they're spending Christmas together, it's the perfect opportunity for him to ask for Suki's hand. Lots of people, including Norman, are hoping that he pops the question.'

Next step? Late last year, the pair sparked engagement rumours, after it was reported they would be spending the festive season at her family home in west London (pictured in January)

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Wayne Lineker has sparked outrage on social media after sharing a video of him picking which 'dream doll' to take on a date at his club in Ibiza - knocking them in the pool by their chests. 

The video of the club owner was shared on Instagram late last month but has resurfaced on Twitter as people have branded him 'creepy' and called his social media posts 'absolutely gross'. 

In the clip, Wayne, 58, looks at the camera and says, 'It's time to pick which dream doll I'm taking out on a date' before rubbing his palms with hand sanitizer. 

Wayne Lineker has received backlash on social media after posting a video of him shoving women into a pool by their chests at his club O Beach in Ibiza

One by one he looks at the young women wearing orange swimsuits and shoves them into the pool by pushing his hand on their chest at his club O Beach in Ibiza, which is often host to famous faces and reality stars. 

Eventually he picks former Love Island contestant Katie Salmon to 'take on a date' and they walk off arm in arm as she says: 'Obviously I'm the champion.'

People took to Twitter to express their outrage at the video, including pro-boxer Stacey Copeland. 

The Commonwealth champion said: 'Watching this video Wayne Lineker posted of himself choosing which ‘dream doll’ he’d be taking on a date, what does it make you think or feel?

He rubs hand santizer into his hands as he speaks to the camera to explain he is picking who to take on a date

He eventually picks his business partner and former Love Island contestant Katie Salmon and she cheers as the pair walk off arm in arm

Pro-boxer Stacey Copeland said the video made he think she is glad to speak up on gender equality and branded Wayne's Facebook page as 'absolutely gross'

'It makes me think that I’m glad I speak up on gender equality for both genders, because we can all do better than this. Your thoughts?'

Stacey went on to comment that Wayne Lineker's Facebook page is 'absolutely gross'. 

Another Twitter user replied to Stacey: 'I hate the thought of people watching that and thinking of it as aspirational.'

Twitter users shared their disgust at the video of club owner Wayne pushes the women in the pool

In response to the video others said it 'made their skin crawl' and some drew comparisons between Wayne and the founder of Playboy magazine Hugh Hefner. 

One wrote: 'Imagine if Hugh Hefner were cloned using scraps of meat from a cheap butchers shop in a covered market. Imagine he was raised in a tanning machine and fed entirely on Wetherspoons breakfasts and Creatine. Congratulations, you have imagined Wayne Lineker.' 

Another said: 'Some people would say Wayne Lineker is living the dream. I think he comes across as a slimy creep. YUK!'

The women in the video are part of the Dreamdolls group which tour around Ibiza dancing and performing for crowds on the white isle.

People have taken to social media to express their outrage at the video and have branded Wayne Lineker as a 'creep' 

Wayne pictured with partying England footballer Dele Alli at his club O Beach in Ibiza 

Wayne Lineker and Katie Salmon are business partners for the group of six whose talents include ballet dancing, twerking, aerial hoop and contortion. 

Katie was quick to jump to Wayne's defence, commenting: 'You all need to chill out. Wayne is my business partner we’re just having banter videos done! We are all independent nice women. Half of my girls are taken. Wayne has banter. Don’t look to deep into social media you fools.'

Commenting on Wayne's original Instagram post, Geordie Shore star Scotty T said: 'Rest for me then....' 

Earlier this year the O Beach owner was sued for £8.5million after former Premier League footballer Jonathan 'Joey' Hutchinson was paralysed after diving into the club's pool. 

Jonathan Hutchinson (pictured), who played for Birmingham City in the Premier League, broke his neck while partying at the Ocean Beach Club - set up by Gary's brother Wayne Lineker

The former Birmingham City defender was discovered by Geothermal guest 'floating in the pool' at the resort which was called Ocean Beach Club at the time of the incident in June 2016.

The Middlesbrough-born 37-year-old is now tetraplegic - afflicted by 'impaired ability to move his shoulders, elbows, wrists and otherwise total paralysis of his body'. 

He claimed the incident could have been avoided had there been easily visible signs warning that diving was banned. 

Club owner to the stars: Who is Wayne Lineker? 

Entrepreneur Wayne Lineker, from Leicester, is the younger brother of former British footballer Gary Lineker. 

The 58-year-old, who now lives in Essex in the winter, owns several bars, clubs and restaurants across Europe, including Linekers Bar in Marbella, Spain, and O Beach in Ibiza, which are often visited by celebrities and reality stars. 

Father-of-four Wayne has had several girlfriends and has been married once before. 

Nightclub owner Wayne Lineker, 58, was once regarded as a better footballing prospect than his brother Gary 

He had all his children with his first wife, including three daughters Duane, Tia and Sean and a son called Freddie. 

The business owner and grandfather has reportedly been single since he split from his ex-fiance Danielle Sandhu, 27, in 2018 after rapat at his club.  

At the age of 14 he left school and worked with his father, a greengrocer, selling fruit and vegetables. 

Growing up he and Gary would play football together but Wayne never pursued it as a professional career despite being once regarded as a better footballing prospect. 

Wayne and his brother are said to be estranged and reports in 2015 suggested their rift began in 2008 when Gary took his bride-to-be Danielle Bux to meet Wayne. 

Following an uncomfortable first rapat Wayne's then girlfriend Ana Tanaka was not invited to the couple's wedding on the Amalfi coast despite being together for 18 months. As a result, he declined the invitation. 

In 2006, Wayne was handed a two-and-a-half year prison sentence after he was convicted for a £220,000 tax fraud.  

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