Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Brawling fans hold up final
Early into the second half of the First Division Final between Surabaya and Solo played in Kediri the referee stopped play becuse of rows in a couple of parts of the Brawijaya Stadium.
Since half time we'd seen Surabaya's notorious fans running along the perimieter track and lobbing rocks at some fans before having it on their toes. To their left was a pocket of Kediri fans separating them from the main body of Solo fans. Who the Surabaya fans were mixing it with wasn't clear from the TV pictures but they were regularly pushed back.
What seemed to kick things off round the stadium was a Surabaya corner in the opposite corner. Plastic bottles were thrown at the player as he went to take the dead kick and then some fans got on the pitch. Again the TV pictures were of limited value to anyone wanting a good view of the action off the pitch but it loked like it was Surabaya fans dicking around. That seemed to kick it off at the other end again and for some 10 minutes play was halted as supporters' officials and the odd brave player, fair player to # 6 and # 30, tried to calm down their huge travelling support. TV cameras showed Solo and Kediri fans looking on bemused, unlike their English counterparts who would have been egging the hooligans on. Maybe they were, like I say, the cameras weren't really showing us. Oddly the police didn't seem to be too hands on when it came to cracking skulls! West Midlands plod would have loved it!
Anyway, play resumed and Surabaya were 1-0 up. A cracking side footed volley by Denny made it 2-0 but he didn't celebrate too much. Well you don't do yo, not when you net an own goal in your biggest game of the season!
UPDATE
As a reward for kicking off all through the game Surabaya fans were allowed to hug the touchline and hang off the goal netting behind the Solo goal. The Solo terrace looked eeriely empty.What tossers allowed this farce to continue? There is no way a ref or a linesman can do their job when they are seconds away from a kicking from the neanderthals pitch side. It had to happen. A whistle, they thought it was all over and the crowd took half a step and were on the pitch. Players and officials were off like a fox, fans swarmed the pitch. Solo headed back into the changing room, sensibly refusing to play any more. You can't blame them. This game was won by the hooligans and the Indonesian football authorities, police and Indonesian football are the losers. It was mob rule. They are now preparing for the awards ceremony despite the fact the game has yet to finish. TV cameras in the Solo dressing room shows them getting dressed to go home. Those Kediri streets won't be fun for the next few hours...
Since half time we'd seen Surabaya's notorious fans running along the perimieter track and lobbing rocks at some fans before having it on their toes. To their left was a pocket of Kediri fans separating them from the main body of Solo fans. Who the Surabaya fans were mixing it with wasn't clear from the TV pictures but they were regularly pushed back.
What seemed to kick things off round the stadium was a Surabaya corner in the opposite corner. Plastic bottles were thrown at the player as he went to take the dead kick and then some fans got on the pitch. Again the TV pictures were of limited value to anyone wanting a good view of the action off the pitch but it loked like it was Surabaya fans dicking around. That seemed to kick it off at the other end again and for some 10 minutes play was halted as supporters' officials and the odd brave player, fair player to # 6 and # 30, tried to calm down their huge travelling support. TV cameras showed Solo and Kediri fans looking on bemused, unlike their English counterparts who would have been egging the hooligans on. Maybe they were, like I say, the cameras weren't really showing us. Oddly the police didn't seem to be too hands on when it came to cracking skulls! West Midlands plod would have loved it!
Anyway, play resumed and Surabaya were 1-0 up. A cracking side footed volley by Denny made it 2-0 but he didn't celebrate too much. Well you don't do yo, not when you net an own goal in your biggest game of the season!
UPDATE
WHAT A BLOODY JOKE
As a reward for kicking off all through the game Surabaya fans were allowed to hug the touchline and hang off the goal netting behind the Solo goal. The Solo terrace looked eeriely empty.What tossers allowed this farce to continue? There is no way a ref or a linesman can do their job when they are seconds away from a kicking from the neanderthals pitch side. It had to happen. A whistle, they thought it was all over and the crowd took half a step and were on the pitch. Players and officials were off like a fox, fans swarmed the pitch. Solo headed back into the changing room, sensibly refusing to play any more. You can't blame them. This game was won by the hooligans and the Indonesian football authorities, police and Indonesian football are the losers. It was mob rule. They are now preparing for the awards ceremony despite the fact the game has yet to finish. TV cameras in the Solo dressing room shows them getting dressed to go home. Those Kediri streets won't be fun for the next few hours...