Earlier this week it was reported that senior British police officers were astonished that the FA would fix a friendly match on a Friday night in Amsterdam and it would seem their fears are justified, with some fans already landing themselves in hot water.
Dutch riot police were forced to intervene yesterday when supporters starting throwing bottles and smashing windows in the city centre, with 25 fans arrested. Elsewhere, a video is going viral of fans dousing a boat full of people as they passed under a bridge on one of Amsterdam's canals.
The video ends with one fan then tossing a bicycle into the canal.
England fans in Amsterdam today.. pic.twitter.com/pS619GglMr
— Casual Ultra (@thecasualultra) March 23, 2018
Another clip of a fan surfaced online when he stripped off and jumped into the canal.
An England fan has already jumped in the canal in Amsterdam this afternoon???????? #EnglandAway pic.twitter.com/8CKzAxbMB1
— Casual Ultra (@thecasualultra) March 22, 2018
There is real concern among the British police that any incidents tonight will send worrying signals ahead of the World Cup in Russia. Mark Roberts, head of UK Football Policing Unit told the Daily Mail, 'Other than playing Scotland in Magaluf or Russia in Marseilles, it's hard to think of a worse place to play the last away friendly before the World Cup,' before adding:
If Russian authorities see images of our fans drinking to excess, chanting objectionably and behaving disrespectfully, it may make them more predisposed to have a negative mind-set about what they might encounter this summer.
They could then look to point to our fans' previous behaviour. The Russian authorities do not make a distinction between those who behave in an anti-social manner and those who are looking for trouble.
Hopefully the behaviour of a stupid few won't sour the experience for all the fans who have journeyed over.
