Plea for clubs to stop riots
Soccer clubs were asked yesterday to help tackle hooliganism in Greece as police said that six fans had been arrested after a group of supporters clashed with riot police and damaged property during a first-division match in Livadia, northwest of Athens, on Sunday night. «The government calls on the teams to help put an end to violence in stadiums,» said government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos. He revealed that the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (APPD) had given the green light for fans’ names to be recorded on match tickets so authorities could track down troublemakers more easily. Officers said that some 100 AEK fans tried to enter the stadium of opposing team Levadiakos without tickets. The supporters then fought with police. A van and several cars belonging to Alpha television channel were destroyed, interrupting the live broadcast of the game. Police said that 14 officers were slightly injured during the clashes as well. Some 200 policemen were present at the game. Three of the six fans were arrested after being found to be in possession of drugs.
