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Heightened concerns Lawmakers want England-Germany match moved
Posted: Wednesday May 17, 2000 02:06 PM
LONDON (AP) -- Wednesday's rioting before the UEFA Cup final in Copenhagen reinforced a call from British lawmakers to move next month's explosive European Championship game between England and Germany away from Charleroi to a more secure stadium in Brussels. Worried that the 30,000-capacity Stade Communale stadium won't be able to cope with huge influx of fans from the two soccer powerhouses, the lawmakers are planning an emergency debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. They want soccer's European body, UEFA, to move the game. Their move comes as rival fans at the Arsenal-Galatasaray UEFA Cup final fought in the streets of Copenhagen in the buildup to Wednesday's game. There are strong fears that hundreds of troublemakers may turn the town of Charleroi into a battleground whereas they would be more easily contained if the game were switched to the 50,000-capacity King Baudouin (formerly Heysel) stadium in Brussels. "The Belgian police have expressed concerns and, if they have reservations, their government and UEFA should re-examine the situation," said Roy Perry, a lawmaker on the European Parliament. "Our prime concern is the safety of the ground but we are also worried about the ability of the authorities to police the stadium properly and control the fans." Peter Ainsworth, opposition spokesman on sports in the House of Commons, said the rioting in Copenhagen added to the worries about Charleroi. "The news of the running battles in Copenhagen, in which innocent and genuine football fans and families have found themselves trapped, fuels the concerns I have over the suitability of Charleroi for the high-profile England versus Germany Euro 2000 fixture on June 17," he said. "Questions need to be answered as to how these hooligans were able to travel there in the first place. Urgent lessons need to be learnt before the first ball kicks off in Euro 2000." Euro 2000 organizers said there were no plans to move the game although they did not rule it out. "This decision could be taken although it would have to be an exceptional matter for it to happen," spokesman Pierre Migesha was quoted as saying. UEFA spokesman Frits hlstrom said his organization knew nothing of the debate.
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