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German match halted after violence
Posted: Saturday September 18, 1999 04:10 PM
LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) -- Two people were hospitalized and several street cars vandalized Saturday after violence erupted and led to a soccer match being stopped between VfB Leipzig and Dynamo Dresden. The third-division match between the two Saxony rivals was broken off in the 85th minute at 0-0 because rival fan groups pelted each other with fireworks. Several exploded on the field. Police did not say how many people were arrested after the violence between the rival groups escalated downtown afterwards, leading to the injuries and vandalism. Leipzi, the country's first national champion in 1903 and with several years of European play, faces a 50,000 mark ($28,000) fine from the German Soccer federation for repeated incidents of violence. On May 15, in another derby between the two teams, 100 hooligans slipped through an open security door at the Leipzig stadium. They were stopped by police before they could attack the Dresden fans. The soccer federation said it plans to institute rules banning known hooligans from third division stadiums. Those rules are in effect for Germany's top leagues. The Northeast Regional League, where almost all the once top clubs in the former East Germany play these days, harbors the worst hooligan problem in German soccer. Several matches last season were stopped when rival fans clashed. Leipzig also faces bankruptcy and now has 8 million marks ($4.2 million) in debt. With the top clubs in the East all plummeting into the third division since German unification, the hooligan problem has escalated among frustrated fans. Average attendance for the once popular teams have dropped under 4,000, making it easier for hooligans to disrupt matches. The cash-strapped clubs also have been forced to cut back on security.
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