Last night at the Zurich Fan Fest it very nearly kicked off. At the time I thought that the Swiss police and the private security firm Delta Force did a good job however after sleeping on it, I’m now not so sure. 

The way the Fan Fest is set up allows for zero segregation and up until now that has not been a problem as fans from all countries have mixed peacefully. The authorities must’ve known though that Turkey and Croatia would be a different proposition all together.

 The crowds were massive a good hour before kick-off. It was literally a throw-back to the days of standing on the terraces. Shoulder-to-shoulder packed in like sardines. With the warm weather and an abundant supply of beer everybody was sweating and looking for any kind of breathing space. 

The bantering at that stage was good natured however once the match got started it did take on a more aggressive nature. Once the second half began plastic beer glasses full and empty started to get thrown at two groups of supporters numbering at about 40 each. This is when the riot police in all their regalia moved in.

 They pushed their way down a supposed center line and created a barrier between the sets of fans who’d been throwing stuff. What they failed to take into account was that peaceful Turkish and Croatian fans were now trapped on the wrong sides of the divide. You could see, smell and sense the fear on some people and I felt that the way security had steamed in only added to the tension. 

Parents with young kids struggled to get out of the way. Young girls looking for an evening at the football were now in the midst of young aggressive men who’d been drinking and smoking large amounts of dope. It was a bad situation all around. 

Thankfully the crazy way the match ended seemed to diffuse the situation as the Croatian fans were too stunned to respond to the taunting of their Turkish counterparts. 

Ultimately Fan Festivals are a good idea but just like the matches themselves they need a little thought behind them other than another way to separate fans and their money. For highly charged matches there should be two distinct areas for the supporters to align themselves. Some fencing down the middle and a few securities personal would be perfect – it’s not threatening but immediately delineates where you can stand. Also it allows security to clearly pinpoint any fans that move to an opponent’s area with the intent of causing trouble. 

Last night I believe we weren’t that far away from a full scale punch up – I could sense it and you ignore your senses at your own peril. All the same when the flares sparked up it was just like being in the terraces of old and quite a buzz.