hiddenowl said:Here’s a report in Russian—though most of you have likely already come across it. It sounds fairly objective, if that word even carries any weight in the world of ultras. Then again, I realize everyone has their own version of the truth, but by this account, they were quite hospitable to you all once more..
http://lads-from-riga.livejournal.com/601611.html
🤦
This is nothing short of proof regarding just how grotesquely distorted the supporter movement has become. Honestly, it makes you wonder if these people even understand what it means to be a fan. Without getting bogged down in the specific accuracy of the text, from what I can gather, it doesn't align at all with the accounts from our guys who reached out to me last night—people I trust implicitly. But frankly, the specifics of who wrote it or who "wins" the argument aren't the point. The underlying concept is what matters: everything from the initial warnings about the Zenit fans in Riga, to the breakdown of the fights, the scrutiny of online forums, the video analysis, the publishing of reports online, and the immediate attempts to justify actions within the report itself. It’s all part of the same pattern.
Where did we go wrong? You head out to watch a match, grab a drink, enjoy the atmosphere, maybe get into a scrap. If you’re heading into particularly hostile territory, you go prepared and organized. But you shouldn't lose the entire purpose of going in the process.
God bless the English!