I`m Scottish meaning I take exception to being classed as " British " where football is concerned . The Scots have a separate football association as do the Welsh and Northern Irish . Despite being part of the United Kingdom the Scots , Welsh and Northern Irish play as separate nations on the international football stage
I`m pointing this out because when English football fans go on the rampage English reporters often describe these hooligan scum as " British " . I`m sorry but they`re not British they`re English and I don`t want my nation`s name to be associated with " Britishness " down to a small minority of psychotic English thugs
All this brings me to the Czech movie PROC ? ( Translated into English it means WHY ? ) which deals with a bunch of hooligans who follow Sparta Prague. The story is told mainly in flash back and you could be forgiven for thinking these hooligans were guilty of mass murder but the more the story goes on the more it reveals that these hooligans are mostly guilty of letting off a fire extinguisher and breaking a few fixtures and fittings on a train . It`s quite shocking to think of this behaviour being treated so strictly by the authorities until you stop to consider that Czechoslavakia was still a communist country in those days where the rights of the many came before the rights of the few and deviant behaviour was not to be tolerated at any price
It is fairly well made and acted considering I can remember it from my sole viewing almost 15 years ago , but when this film was made English football and more especially its supporters were in the doghouse . 39 football supporters died at the European cup final at Brussels in 1985 when Liverpool fans rioted which led to English clubs being banned from international competition ( And to be honest club supporters of West Ham , Chelsea and Leeds united were even worse ) . It`s interesting to see the characters in this movie chant " POOL POOL LIVERPOOL " and " BRUSSELS " but compared to their English counter parts these guys are boy scouts
I`m pointing this out because when English football fans go on the rampage English reporters often describe these hooligan scum as " British " . I`m sorry but they`re not British they`re English and I don`t want my nation`s name to be associated with " Britishness " down to a small minority of psychotic English thugs
All this brings me to the Czech movie PROC ? ( Translated into English it means WHY ? ) which deals with a bunch of hooligans who follow Sparta Prague. The story is told mainly in flash back and you could be forgiven for thinking these hooligans were guilty of mass murder but the more the story goes on the more it reveals that these hooligans are mostly guilty of letting off a fire extinguisher and breaking a few fixtures and fittings on a train . It`s quite shocking to think of this behaviour being treated so strictly by the authorities until you stop to consider that Czechoslavakia was still a communist country in those days where the rights of the many came before the rights of the few and deviant behaviour was not to be tolerated at any price
It is fairly well made and acted considering I can remember it from my sole viewing almost 15 years ago , but when this film was made English football and more especially its supporters were in the doghouse . 39 football supporters died at the European cup final at Brussels in 1985 when Liverpool fans rioted which led to English clubs being banned from international competition ( And to be honest club supporters of West Ham , Chelsea and Leeds united were even worse ) . It`s interesting to see the characters in this movie chant " POOL POOL LIVERPOOL " and " BRUSSELS " but compared to their English counter parts these guys are boy scouts