Two days of violence and ugly scenes bring shame to opening encounters of Euro 2016

 UEFA and the authorities responsible for policing Euro 2016 have had great worries about the scale of trouble before and after England's 1-1 draw with Russia at Stade Velodrome in Marseille. 

Considering the important place UEFA holds in the world football family governed by FIFA, the violent and ugly scenes have brought shame to the opening encounters of UERO 2016. From the moment England and Russia fans started flooding into Marseille on Thursday and Friday, there was an undercurrent of tension and violence that was transformed into scenes that were a throwback to some of football's worst hooligan excesses of the past.

In the steamy, humid environment of this port city in the south of France, with alcohol flowing freely in searing temperatures and demonstrations of aggression from both sets of fans, all the ingredients were in place for events that unfolded in the Vieux-Port de Marseille.

 The beautiful scenery highlighted by the magnificent, sweeping curves of the Stade Velodrome contrasts so much with the disgraceful incidents that took place just seconds after full-time.

Frightened English fans struggling to jump over barriers

According to news reports flares had been lit in the Russian section at one end of the stadium as the clock ticked down and a firework flew high into the stand before the most serious trouble inside the stadium blew up after the final whistle moments after Vasili Berezutski's looping header deep into stoppage time had cancelled out Eric Dier's free-kick that had sent England a goal ahead.

At the end of the stadium that had been defended by England, hundreds of Russian fans broke through segregation that was flimsy to the point of being non-existent and charged their counterparts.

It was particularly disturbing given the high levels of security and policing that were in evidence around the stadium considering the fact that French authorities remain on high alert after November's Paris attacks.

Fighting broke out as frightened England fans retreated, many jumping over barriers as they fled and others stuck in hazardous bottlenecks at exits as they tried to escape what was a dangerously escalating violence.

The security cordon or barrier was weak and Russian fans blasted their way through one side of the stand to the other towards England supporters.

Many supporters involved in the charge had their faces covered to avoid identification and there seemed to be a slow reaction from police before the situation eventually calmed with England fans moving to the exits and Russian supporters either returning to their seats or leaving the ground.

The streets back into the city centre were still choked two hours after the game as local police and ambulances attempted to weave their way through static traffic to reach other flashpoints in Marseille as the trouble continued.

It was the sort of hooliganism Football governing bodies hoped had been stamped out but has ones more reared its head in sinister fashion less than 48 hours into Euro 2016. It demands a strong reaction, not just from European football's governing body UEFA, but also from those who saw the shortcomings of security exposed after the final whistle in Marseille.

UEFA has begun disciplinary proceedings against the Russian Football Union after what it called "totally unacceptable” and has threatened to disqualify England and Russia from Euro 2016 if there is any further violence by fans. Charges against Russia are for crowd disturbances, racist behaviour, and setting off fireworks, UEFA confirmed.

The football governing body affirmed that there were issues with segregation of fans, promising security would be "strengthened".

Meantime the UK government said it had offered to send extra British police to France ahead of England's next match in Lens on Thursday.

Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Sunday: "We will have a fine from UEFA, so I understand. We behaved incorrectly," R-Sport news agency reported but he added that there were "many nuances" to what had happened, and that Russian officials would investigate.

The "big questions for UEFA here," are that the "Stampede appears to have been triggered by an explosion. How did such a device make it inside and where was segregation?" A police spokesman said the Briton who was injured in the clashes before the match had been resuscitated by officers, but gave no further details.

While a British Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are in contact with French authorities about a British national injured in Marseille and stand ready to provide further support."

Local police chief Laurent Nunez told AFP news agency: "Police intervened in a clash between English, Russian and French supporters in the Vieux Port district."

Some British journalists in the area have described the scenes on social media, and pointed the finger at a gang of black-clad Russians, who they said had entered the port city's main square from a side street apparently seeking violence.

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