1         General

1.1       Policy Framework

Partly due to a number of incidents toward the end of the previous season and the start of the season under review it was decided to update the Policy Framework on Combating Football Hooliganism and Violence, which had been determined in 1997.

The new Policy Framework is a joint product of the organisations represented in the interdisciplinary steering group on combating football hooliganism and violence.

1.2       Investigations

Two important investigation reports appeared this season.

“Rotterdam hooligans, growth, opportunistic structures, prevention” was published in January 2003. This report was carried out by the COT, commissioned by the Programme Bureau Security of the City of Rotterdam.

The other report, “The ball or the man. Profiles of suspects in football-related violent crime” was conducted by the IVA Tilburg and commissioned by the Ministry of Health Welfare & Sports (VWS) and published in April 2003.

The aspect of “new recruits” is central in both cases. The COT focused on Feyenoord supporters while the IVA sought to sketch a general picture.

In the view of the CIV both investigations were practically focused and offer levers for the local players to take dedicated action.

We have a number of remarks on each report.

1.3       COT Investigation

The COT report focuses exclusively on hooliganism by Feyenoord supporters and their so-called new recruits.

The study looks at:

1.4       “The ball or the man” report

Central to the set-up of the Tilburg IVA was collection of information on persons arrested for violent offences at football matches in the first half of the 2002 – 2003 season.

The researchers looked at:

The most important conclusion yielded by the report is that with a large section of the hooligans violence around football has a clear link with risks of threatening behaviour or violence in other circumstances, such as “going out on the town”. The study confirms that – rather than being good citizens carried away by the game and/or alcohol and drugs and so transformed into hooligans – a significant number of those responsible are repeat offenders when it comes to threatening behaviour and violence. This despite the fact that every season 75% of persons arrested at football matches are first offenders.

The researchers take the view that football related violence is still too often approached from the angle of events during and around matches. Hence, given the background of those committing the violence, the study’s central recommendation is for a more individual approach targeting the perpetrator.

This recommendation follows on from one of the policy objectives in the 2003 Policy Framework, i.e. a perpetrator-targeted approach. The starting point here is that, as far as possible, rather than exclusively focusing on disturbances around football matches, all partners in the chain also examine in how far notorious hooligans are also guilty of offences, elsewhere, and at other times.

The Central Gelderland police region started this approach as from the season under review, with the focus on Vitesse “supporters”. The Arnhem project “Hooligans in the spotlight” focuses on the clusters and individuals within the groups who play an important role in sparking violence, who act as provocateurs, but who are smart enough to stay in the background when the riot erupts. These are the so-called “directors”. This approach aims to prevent violence by certain groupings by creating a dam between the directors of the violence and the hangers-on who are often involved in riots and scuffles. However, the supervision is not confined to the day of the game and in and around the stadium. Police officers dedicated to certain areas, together with operating police units also carry out surveillance of these same “directors” in residential areas and in the “pubbing and clubbing scene”. The philosophy of the Arnhem police is that unacceptable behaviour around the football field reduces acceptable standards in housing estates, around nightlife, and vice-versa.

According to the Arnhem police, up to September 2003 their approach has drawn just over 30 leaders from anonymity and that, in cooperation with the chain partners, including the youth service, they have been sent on their way in an appropriate manner.

Judging by the initial results two more police regions have decided to adopt the approach as from the start of next season. The results of the Arnhem approach will be examined to determine longer-term impact.

In the view of the CIV this approach could be highly effective with a preventive impact on other risk- and regular supporters. These are often people who can avoid arrest at football matches while still playing a major role in major or smaller incidents. Indeed, it is a fact that just over 75% of supporters who are detained are first offenders in a football context.

However, it is also important that this approach is maintained for a longer period. In three years a similar approach in Antwerp has reduced police deployment at football matches by one-third.

1.5       Administrative detention

Discussion prior to the EC 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands covered legal potential for police action, including preventive detention, in dealing with large groups of supporters. Extensive debate, also in the Dutch parliament, eventually yielded “Administrative detention”.

Some four seasons later it appears that this means of approach for combating football hooliganism has not actually been applied in practice. The CIV is not in a position to judge whether this formula could have indeed been used for certain incidents; possibly it was regarded as “too complicated”. However, the CIV has established that emergency decrees or emergency orders were invoked on several occasions in dealing with incidents in the past several seasons. In most cases emergency decrees or orders compromise part of the municipal or other emergency plan.

1.6       Practice programme

Prior to the new season, during the period late June to early August there is an intensive programme of practice games, which most clubs play in the Netherlands and abroad.

For some years now, in the run-up to the practice period the CIV has collected as much information as possible on scheduled practice games. This was prompted by a significant number of problems around some of these games and the fact that various police regions/districts had not been informed of these fixtures.

In principle the practice games against amateur clubs were played at the amateurs’ grounds. As a result the local police – often with little or no specialised football experience – find it difficult to make an accurate risk assessment. On top of this most accommodations fail to meet the stringent demands made on facilities for professional football clubs (BVOs). Hence, there is no separation of supporters and insufficient barriers around the field – so that pitch invasions are quite easy. On top of this, alcohol is usually on sale, this being an important source of income for many amateur clubs. As far as the CIV is aware the lack of experience etc has not impacted on public order.

In the run-up to the season under review the CIV collected information on more than 300 practice games. The final list was sent to all football coordinators in the Netherlands and if fixtures were against foreign clubs, to colleague organisations in Belgium, the United Kingdom and Germany. The football coordinators were asked to inform any regional colleagues who could expect a visit by a professional football club that such a fixture existed and secondly to back them up with expertise and particular support around safety organisation. This has proved very effective.

The CIV notes a clear difference between the composition of the regular competition programme and the practice programme. The regular competition programme is preceded by intensive consultation and harmonization – unlike the practice games. More than once the local police force – even for the professional football club’s home stadium – was unaware of a fixture.

In the past most games have been problem-free, and this situation is sure to continue. However, some games did require attention to security/safety measures.

Given rivalry between some Dutch, Belgian, German and British clubs the CIB also focuses on the international acquisition of information on these clubs.

Among other things this showed that rival English supporters had already made arrangements for a confrontation in Amsterdam, before leaving home, and that this would involve more than a friendly beer. Hence the Amsterdam-Amstelland had to make extra deployments.

Furthermore, some games required such a high level of police deployment that it is fair to ask whether such high levels of policing can be justified in the vacation period, for a practice game.

The CIV takes the view that there have been no or only low levels of problems thanks to good sharing of information and, in particular, adequate support by the police from the visiting professional football club’s home town.

Experiences over the past several years prompt the CIV to consider a number of issues:

“When a practice game between a professional and an amateur club requires the deployment of riot-equipped units, mounted police and dog units and/or an overly large number of police officers, permission for said game will be refused.”

Obviously, the above also applies to practice games during the winter break.

1.7       National Football Hooliganism Data Base (VVS)

There is a growing importance to sharing information, in particular with local partners who are closely involved in combating football hooliganism, such as the police, public prosecution department (OM), clubs and KNVB. For several partners the information stored in the VVS (national Football Hooliganism Data Base) is increasingly important as a source enabling effective exercise of tasking.

On page 8 of the report noted under point 1.2.2 researchers recommended as follows: 'To start with the CIV’s ability to collect and register information on persons committing violence should be very substantially increased. Furthermore information should be shared between the CIV and the local, authorities in the perpetrators' home towns.”

The CIV takes the view that it is not its task to collect supplementary information on supporters who have been arrested. This registration is a regional/local responsibility. Implementation of the second recommendation is in a preliminary stage. This means that all regional police info-desks would be linked to the VVS and so obtain information on the specific football-related behaviour of given individuals. Matching this information with other offences is important for the type of approach used in Arnhem.

Meanwhile, the VVS is gradually becoming accessible on a nationwide basis. In principle all police regions can access the general library section. To date the closed section is only available to parties on a need-to-use basis. The principle of need-to-know or nice-to-know is applied here.

Apart for government bodies, like the police and OM, the CIV notes that other partners also use or seek to use information from the VVS. Hence the KNVB and some five clubs are already connected up. The KNVB in particular uses the VVS to implement their policy on stadium bans. The KNVB’s ongoing increasing need for more information reflects pressure from – among other things – appeals against stadium bans. Hence the KNVB requests and receives from the OM detailed information on criminal offences to help enable imposition of stadium bans.

However, the CIV regrets that information on matches and supporter behaviour etc that is at the disposal of other partners, e.g. the clubs and the KNVB, is not included in the VVS. For more than 3 years the CIV has called for the clubs to be linked to the VVS and for the inclusion of their match reports to the KNVB. Unfortunately this has not been realised to date.

Apparently views among the clubs on the VVS differ. This even includes the very principle of making reports available to the CIV). However, the outcome of this situation is that only the government, police and OM make available information on matches and arrested supporters to certain partners in the chain. Apart from information on stadium bans, which are formally a matter for the KNVB, the VVS does not share any other match or other information with partners in the chain.

The model covenant states under “Shared Policy” that adequate provision of information is crucial for the effective combating of football hooliganism. Specifically this means charting the most notorious hooligans. There is a joint approach involving the club, police and OM. Actions taken, with due regard to existing data storage regulations, include:

To summarise, the CIV/government make more facilities available. Among other things this enables compliance with several recommendations as made in the report and the model covenant. Hence, it is desirable that other chain partners increase their input.

1.8       Football Hooliganism Hotline

Awareness of the Football Hooliganism Hotline is still very limited. Calls to the 0900-1433 number for anonymous or named reports around football violence are at most sporadic. Unfortunately a new campaign to lever awareness of the number failed to realise its objective. Hence, the interior ministry in consultation with the CIV decided to terminate the number at the end of 2003.

Agreements have been made with “Meld Misdaad Anoniem” (Report Crime Anonymously) hotline that any football reports it receives will be passed to the CIV. The CIV will then check on the right police force/organisation to deal with the report. The number of “Meld Misdaad Anoniem” is 0800-7000.

1.9       Website CIV

There appears to be wide interest in combating football hooliganism with a large number of hits on the CIV website for the newly published annual report. However, there are a striking number of e-mails from students with general enquiries for dissertations, papers and reports. This season the CIV received and replied to 223 e-mails with enquires, via the website.

1.10  Hein Roethof Prize

Within the overall issue of dealing with football hooliganism it is certainly worth mentioning the social/ preventive project “Heroes round the fields” (Helden rond de velden) from and at Cambuur Leeuwarden. This supporters’ project was awarded the Hein Roethof prize, set up by the Ministry of Justice. Cambuur football club, the police and Leeuwarden municipality cooperated closely on intensive supervision of young problem supporters. Cambuur’s female fan coach proved a particularly successful element in this approach. Success was also evidenced by the substantial drop in arrests of Cambuur supporters.

The CIV and other parties ensured widespread awareness of the project, including among football coordinators. Hopefully key elements of this approach can/will be adopted by other clubs/municipalities.

1.11  International collaboration

1.11.1   International information sharing

The CIV notes a strong improvement in the international sharing of information during the season under review. Time and time again it is clear that a meaningful bilateral exchange of information is crucial in taking the right security measures around a match. Rapid, but above all good quality and reliable information plays an important role in, for example, weighing up the number of police to be deployed.

It is also important to accurately chart the travel pattern so that countries en route can be briefed on the characteristics of supporters who are in transit. It would not be the first time supporters transiting a country cause trouble on the way to the match.

The CIV provides international information exchange around games involving the Dutch national eleven, which is scheduled to play a number of qualifying matches for the EC 2004 in Portugal. In addition, information is also distributed on Dutch clubs due to play in European competitions.

1.11.2   Champions League meeting 

In regard to information sharing around the Champions League the CIV has been coordinating an international exchange for three years now. The second Champions League Meeting - organised by the CIV – was held at the start of the season on 10 September 2002. Once again, invitees were one representative of the national information centre and two representatives of the local police from the participating countries and/or clubs.

There were 63 participants from 11 European countries.

Alongside sharing information on participating clubs and the actual programme, the meeting once again underlined the importance of full information sharing. At the end of the day it was decided that, given its success-rate and in particular the crucial value of excellent information sharing, the CIV would organise this meeting for the third time in 2003.

The CIV now collects and distributes all information around all matches played in this competition. The CIV now has a meaningful picture of supporter behaviour for the various European clubs at away games.

Speed and quality of information are vital to actually utilise shared information. A student from Erasmus University, Rotterdam was commissioned by the CIV to conduct a study into these two aspects as part of an MA course. The study looked at experiences in the first round of the Champions League competition in seasons 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.

The study concluded that the speed of information-exchange during the second season examined has improved on the first. It also stated that more work was needed to enhance the quality side and mostly the comprehensiveness of the information. A very positive conclusion was that out of the 144 games in season 2002 – 2003 the CIV exchanged and/or collected information on 122. Apparently there is now awareness within the EU level of the importance of good information sharing.

1.11.3   International police support

International cooperation between police organisations within the various European countries was particularly visible around the international games mentioned above. The “Dutch Police Team” was deployed on several occasions around fixtures involving the national football squad. The “Dutch Police Team” comprises a group of highly experienced police spotters. These officers travel to away games with “their” supporters or attend home games, on almost a weekly basis. This builds up in-depth knowledge of their own supporters, and enables them to collaborate effectively with these supporters, as “neighbourhood cop” for the stadium.

Police officers connected to a given club also escorted supporters to most games abroad. The host police and the supporters both came to appreciate the added value of the escort. When problems or questions arose it was comforting for the supporters to be spoken to in Dutch by Dutch police officers. Meanwhile, in their spotter’s role, the Dutch officers could also provide support for their foreign colleagues, while explaining the behaviour of the supporters.