England fan tells of terror at Euros attack by ‘savage thugs with faces full of hate’
Families were forced to run for their lives in scenes that were a 'flashback to Hillsborough'
AN England fan yesterday told how he and his son ran for their lives from Russian thugs.
Steve McLean, 47, and son Jude, 14, were yards from the Ultras who steamed across seats when their team equalised in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.
Their terrifying account came as Uefa threatened to disqualify England and Russia if there is more violence. But only Russia has been charged over the clashes.
Steve compared the fear in Marseilles’ Velodrome stadium to the Hillsborough disaster, which he and his brother survived in 1989.
He said: “We were confronted with gangs of savages, musclemen thugs with faces full of hate.
“They looked insane with gritted teeth and clenched fists punching anyone in their path.
“One fan put up his hands and said ‘I don’t want to fight!’ but was smashed in the face repeatedly.
“People were getting crushed, trampled in the exits and climbing over the walls to get away.
“One chap broke his leg when he fell getting over a wall. Yet the police did nothing. I froze because I wanted to save my son and didn’t know where to run. I thought we were going to be killed."
France’s Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, called for a booze ban in all host cities on match days and the day before in a bid to help stem the violence. Steve compared the fear in Marseilles’ Velodrome stadium to the Hillsborough disaster, which he and his brother survived in 1989.
Many fans asked why there were so few police in Marseilles’ Velodrome — and why those there did so little to help fans under attack.
Steve, a transport manager from Southend, Essex, added: “I had a flashback to the bodies at Hillsborough and thought: ‘My God it’s happening again.’
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Brian Gurtler, 55, was punched in the back of the head as he tried to help a woman climb to safety.
He said: “I fell down three sets of seats. The next thing I knew I was lying flat on my back.
“The Russians were hell-bent on wreaking havoc. They had evil in their eyes. They didn’t care who they attacked, man, woman or child. I can’t see why anyone would go to the World Cup in Russia in 2018 if they face being battered black and blue.”
One fan was seen carrying his terrified young son away from the fighting in the stands.
Others told how they were attacked before the match by Russians wearing England shirts, gum shields and armed with baseball bats and truncheons.
One England fan, 51, was yesterday “hovering between life and death” in a Marseilles hospital.
Two others were fighting for life. Three fans were also in hospital yesterday.
At least 35 were injured before and during the match.
One was on crutches after a chair was smashed over his head and he was kicked down stairs.
Dad Martyn Lowe, 28, of Stoke-on-Trent, was left with a bulging eye after being bottled and punched unconscious by Russians.
Police said 15 people have been arrested, including Russians, English and French suspects.
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BRITAIN’S Euro 2016 police chief said the Marseilles mayhem was the most coordinated he has seen in 10 years handling football violence.
And Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts, centre, wants to find Russian hooligans behind it using fans’ phone footage.
He said: “The Russians are nothing like anything we have seen before. They are highly organised and determined to carry out sustained attacks at a level of aggression I’ve not seen.
ACC Roberts once advised England fans to stay in Lille rather than overcrowded Lens for Thursday’s Wales match.
But they could encounter Russians there. Now he said: “We are not advising fans not to travel to Lille now.”
Builder Ian Allsop, 45, of Luton, was beaten with a bat.
He said: “About 300 Russians came out of nowhere in the afternoon. They wore gum shields, some had England shirts on to mix in. They were thick-set, stocky guys.
“People were getting bottles smashed on their heads, bats smashed into them. Loads of people were hurt. I have tickets for the semi final but I wouldn’t come if it was here. It’s toxic.
“Later on the way to the game a group of locals starting spitting at us. We told them to stop and they took out knives. The police were nowhere then.”
George Amos, 29, of South London, said: “The Russians looked like the black death squad. They had these uniforms on. The police just stood there watching. We didn’t have a chance.
“The Russians wanted to fight the English hooligans from the 1980s, but they are all at home under passport banning orders.”
Keith Moore, 52, from Manchester, and two pals said some of the Ultras carried small, telescopic batons. Keith added: “They picked out English blokes to attack, and then ran off when the police arrived.”
Uefa yesterday expressed its “utter disgust” and charged Russia’s Football Union with crowd disturbances, setting off fireworks and racism.
Russia’s sports minister Vitaly Mutko initially claimed the clashes were exaggerated, and called for England fans to be banned. He later accepted fans had been firing flares, but said Russia should escape with a fine.
STAR APOLOGISES FOR 'KICKING' TWEET
FLORENCE and the Machine guitarist Rob Ackroyd tweeted he hoped English fans were “getting a right good kicking”.
After a huge backlash Ackroyd, 33, from Hitchin, Herts, wrote: “Wooooah I meant the hooligans. All of it is vile.”
The Uefa probe will also demand answers on the poor segregation in the stadium.
The Government has offered to send police to France ahead of England’s match against Wales in Lens on Thursday. A spokesman said: “We are deeply concerned by the violence and urge calm on all sides.”
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