An independent review into the chaos at Wembley before and during the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy has found that a “series of very near misses” could have “led to serious injury or even loss of life”.
The Football Association has apologised for the “terrible experience” supporters suffered and vowed to learn from the mistakes.
The review, conducted by Baroness Louise Casey and published on Friday, found that “widespread antisocial behaviour and lawlessness, fuelled by alcohol and drugs” from nearby to the stadium from midday led to ticketless fans forcing their way into the ground for the 8pm kick off.
Around 2,000 ticketless supporters made it Wembley, with only 400 being ejected. The review states there was a collective failure by organisations involved in planning the final and a failure to recognise it was more than simply a football game but a matter of national significance.
Baroness Casey’s report also reveals that had England won the penalty shootout, a further 6,000 fans were waiting outside the stadium to storm inside when the doors were opened to let others leave. It describes the events of the day as a “perfect storm”, due to Covid-19 regulations and the impact of the pandemic combining with the nation’s excitement at England reaching a first final since 1966.
Baroness Casey said: “The Euro 2020 final was a potentially glorious national occasion that turned into a day of national shame. Our team of role models were in our first major final for 55 years. However they were let down by a horde of ticketless, drunken and drugged up thugs who chose to abuse innocent, vulnerable and disabled people, as well as police officers, volunteers and Wembley staff, creating an appalling scene of disorder and coming perilously close to putting lives at risk. We are genuinely lucky that there was not much more serious injury or worse, and need to take the toughest possible action against people who think a football match is somehow an excuse to behave like that.
“I am clear that the primary responsibility for what went wrong at Wembley that day lies with those who lost control of their own behaviour that day, not with anyone who did their best but lost control of the crowd. Nevertheless there are always lessons to be learned and it is right and commendable that the FA have commissioned this thorough review and have fully engaged with it, along with key partners including the Police and local council. No one was fully prepared for what happened that day and it can’t be allowed to happen again. That’s why I have made a series of recommendations to the FA, government and others. Because law abiding fans, our national team, and our national game deserve better.”
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “We commissioned the Casey Review to understand what happened on the evening of the Uefa Euro 2020 final and to ensure we could learn all the lessons needed to avoid this from ever happening again. We fully accept its findings and there are important learnings for us, as well as other agencies involved.
“The FA apologises for the terrible experience that many suffered within Wembley on what should have been a historic night for the game.
“Everyone at The FA was appalled at the significant levels of crowd disorder throughout the day on 11 July. The Review makes clear that the circumstances leading up to the match led to a perfect storm of lawlessness. No event is set up to deal with such disgraceful behaviour from thousands of ticketless fans. Collectively we must never allow this to happen again. Baroness Casey is clear that moving forwards, where there is an event of national significance, we and all agencies must view it through a different lens.
“I would like to thank everyone who worked at the match that day. Many people went well above and beyond their roles and performed their duties with courage and determination. This was often at personal risk to themselves.
“The lessons learned from this Review will ensure that fans have a good experience at major international events at Wembley, as they have for many years.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3DfshsV
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