THE BEAUTIFUL GAME?:

Senegal fans go on the rampage after World Cup bid ends in disappointment (Sportsmail, 14th October 2008)

Rioting fans pelted Diouf and his team-mates with rocks and glass bottles, broke down fencing and invaded the pitch before armed riot police escorted the players back to their dressing-room.

They remained barricaded in the stadium for three hours before being smuggled out through a side exit.

Spain defend 'fantastic' fans after England veto Bernabeu: The Spanish Football Federation has defended their supporters as "fantastic" after it emerged that the Football Association were unwilling to play a planned friendly against the European champions in Madrid after black England players were racially abused on their last visit. (Paul Kelso, 13 Oct 2008, Daily Telegraph)

England head coach Fabio Capello has personally requested a game against Spain next February, but after five English players were abused by large sections of the Bernabeu crowd four years ago the FA are reluctant to return to Real Madrid's stadium.

Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Jermain Defoe and Jermaine Jenas were barracked in one of the most blatant examples of racism seen in Europe in recent years that earned the Spanish federation, the RFEF, a £45,000 fine.

The FA's stance over the game was warmly welcomed by Kick It Out, the anti-racism campaign group, but in Spain there was little sympathy for the FA's position.

Houston fan banned for life for racial insult at D.C. goalkeeper (Shane Evans, 10/13/08, SI.com, Goal.com

The Houston Dynamo have banned a fan from attending their matches indefinitely following a racially charged insult directed at D.C. United goalkeeper Louis Crayton following the teams' 0-0 tie on Sunday afternoon.

Italy get tough and ban their fans from away games following trouble in Bulgaria (Sportsmail, 10/13/08)

Italy have indefinitely banned their own supporters from away games after trouble flared during the Azzurri's goalless draw in Bulgaria on Saturday. [...]

A section of the travelling support threw bottles at the Bulgarian fans and made fascist salutes and chanted fascist slogans.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 13, 2008 8:05 PM