Boro fans launch legal challenge against police dispersal powers

[davieG]

Case Background

On 17th March 2015, officers from various police forces were involved in issuing a group of approximately 50 football supporters with dispersal notices pursuant to Section 34 and Section 35 Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (“the 2014 Act”).

The crime - no one knows - the police are relying on ‘Public Interest Immunity’ which allows the none disclosure of information and intelligence! 

Basically, the police do not have to justify their actions and can hide behind this immunity to abuse powers against innocent football fans. If you love football you are vulnerable to being treated this way. 

Middlesbrough football fans, who had travelled to a Derby away game, lost their liberty for over 4 hours, during which time with most were not allowed refreshments or to use a toilet (half of the group had to urinate in the street next to a church where the police had cordoned the group like cattle in a pen and the other half were left waiting in pain to relieve themselves).

Many of the group had taken time off work, purchased tickets and were all looking forward to the game. Instead they were deprived of their liberty and escorted out of the City by an unprecedented number of police officers.

The group were escorted through the streets of Derby to the train station, then escorted to Nottingham to be detained even further until transport arrived, then escorted on the outside lane of the M1 at 50 mph surrounded by squad cars with blue lights and sirens. It has been described as one of the most humiliating experiences of the fans entire time supporting Middlesbrough FC in over 40 yrs.

 

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/middlesbrough-supporters/?fbclid=IwAR0IwSGz80bjLP6KD-YoSff4G3nLfJ37_gWYyDq4YwYvaXJmstT8bz9Z_08

 

We're launching a legal challenge to ensure that this unjustified use of dispersal powers is stopped. This is happening across the Country time and time again. Supporters being turned into criminals. Please contribute what you can and share this page on social media, with fellow friends, family and fans.

[Voll Blau]

Absolutely scary how the police use such exceptional powers against football fans that they'd never dare use against any other group.Some of this stuff would never come to light unless groups like the FSF kept banging the drum about these incidents either.

[Vacamion]

On 04/11/2018 at 09:43, davieG said:

It been described as one of the most humiliating experiences of the fans entire time supporting Middlesbrough FC in over 40 yrs.

 

 

For a team that plays hoofball in front of empty seats week after week, and which hasn't won much ever, and which is located in, well, bloody Middlesbrough, that's quite the assertion.

 

Good luck to them.

[Finnegan]

You'd put money on there being more to the story though, wouldn't you? 

 

The truth is usually some middle ground, the police probably over reacted but the idea that they were fifty completely innocent Middlesbrough fans is pretty wildly unlikely. 

 

What motive would the police have for cordoning a completely random group of blokes in Boro colours doing absolutely nothing wrong and detaining them for four hours for a laugh? 

[RoboFox]

10 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

You'd put money on there being more to the story though, wouldn't you? 

 

The truth is usually some middle ground, the police probably over reacted but the idea that they were fifty completely innocent Middlesbrough fans is pretty wildly unlikely. 

 

What motive would the police have for cordoning a completely random group of blokes in Boro colours doing absolutely nothing wrong and detaining them for four hours for a laugh? 

 

My first thought, exactly.

 

As much as people like to think so, the police in this country very rarely detain or arrest people for no reason. It's just not in their interests to do so, and they certainly don't have the resources.

 

The truth is these supporters were probably acting like sufficient enough jeb-ends to draw the attention of the authorities.

Edited 9 November 2018 by RoboFox

[Finnegan]

1 minute ago, RoboFox said:

 

My first thought, exactly.

 

As much as people like to think so, the police in this country very rarely detain or arrest people for no reason. It's just not in their interests to do so. 

 

The truth is these supporters were probably acting like sufficient enough jeb-ends to draw the attention of the authorities.

 

I do think there's still too many negative stereotypes and assumptions made about football fans in this country, sure. 

 

But equally, its a long way from the 80s and the match day experience today is a pretty watered down, safe, corporate affair and the policing around grounds tends to reflect that.

 

I dunno, I'm probably biased, I think I like a higher percentage of policemen that I know (there's a fair few in my extended family!) than the football fans I know tbh.