Curve closures prove toothless: punished fans show up at clubs and authorities

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With much fanfare, the Swiss fan scene proclaimed on January 16: “Enough is enough – everyone to Bern!” The fans of all clubs must collectively bring their dissatisfaction with the collective punishment and zero tolerance to Bern. And let the collective punishments be followed by collective answers for the second time, after the stoppages with plumes of smoke on the last matchday of 2023.

The whole thing turned out to be just a bluff. On Saturday afternoon, United fans announced that it was never their plan to travel to Bern. They just wanted to show that a phone call was enough to get the security apparatus going.

According to Nause, the fan appeal did not entail any additional costs

In concrete terms: In a communiqué, the Bern Regional Police stated that such an action required approval and would therefore not be tolerated and that the necessary measures would be taken to ensure peace and order. For Bern’s security director Reto Nause, there was no alternative: “The authorities and the cantonal police are obliged to take such calls seriously and investigate them. Anything else would be negligence.” But that did not entail any additional costs. “We had a climate meeting in the city anyway and the YB versus GC match in the evening. There was police present.”

And in the game in question, fans are once again thumbing their noses at the licensing authorities. Due to the riots of YB fans after the match against GC in Zurich at the end of October, in which a bus was destroyed and its driver was massively threatened, the licensing authorities withdrew the cascade model from the drawer and ordered the home fan sector in Wankdorf closed.

The (forbidden) fans come during the break

The atmosphere in the first half was virtually non-existent. The ideal of this punishment. The guest sector was also empty. The GC fans voluntarily showed their solidarity with those of YB. But: The fans stood in front of the stadium.

They came in during the break. The GC fans organized a rarely seen pyro-orgy. Meanwhile, the YB-Ultras suddenly populated sector C16 next to/above the eastern bend, lighting individual pyros and creating almost the usual atmosphere. An ad absurdum punishment that is unparalleled!

YB knew nothing

Nause doesn’t see it that way. «The public prosecutor’s office in sector D has 3,000 fans. And it was empty. So the measure worked. The ‘tough boys’ were not present. And if individuals now end up in sector C, where there are some fans who are close to the curve, then this cannot be prevented.” There were no choreos at all. And pyros were only burned off sporadically.

And yet: the eastern bend has orchestrated everything wonderfully. Without YB’s knowledge, the club said when asked. So the Ultras probably contacted the season ticket holders of sector C16 who were close to them and moved them. And bought all available tickets myself. Because their own season tickets for this game were blocked.

Kayser also thinks this is an evasion of punishment

Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether this amounts to avoiding punishment – ​​a view also shared by Karin Kayser, co-chair of the Conference of Cantonal Directors of Justice and Police. “Given the current legal situation, violent fans cannot be prevented from purchasing regular tickets and mingling with other spectators. In this way, at least the concentration of the willingness to use violence can be reduced.”

Only personalized tickets would help

What could help? The Nidwalden government member: “Personalised cards are useful. On the one hand, this means that ticket sales can be refused for a specific person at a certain match and on the other hand, people prone to violence can be more easily held accountable. Unfortunately, we still lack the legal basis for this. Clubs could introduce these personalized tickets on a voluntary basis.” Is the measure then not suitable? “A measure is only as effective as it is implemented, and this requires the participation of everyone, including the leagues, clubs and approval bodies. Without the cascade model and personalized tickets, you cannot prevent this cat-and-mouse game.”

But what is absolutely absurd: “That the punished home club, in this case YB, generates more money than with the curve open because additional tickets have to be purchased for the sector in which the fans created their alternative curve.”

Source : Blick