Beorn
08-17-2009, 03:24 PM
FORMER football hooligans from Wales are being recruited by groups who have been involved in violent clashes with anti-fascist protesters.
Members of anti-Islamic fundamentalist groups the Welsh Defence League and Casuals United joined activists from the associated English Defence League in a protest against Muslim extremists in Birmingham last weekend.
Violence erupted at the protest, leading to a total of 34 arrests.
Former Cardiff City Soul Crew hooligan Jeff Marsh is one of the organisers of both groups.
He told Wales on Sunday that football hooligans are a “ready-made army” against Muslim fundamentalists.
Marsh, who has written two books about his exploits with the city’s infamous Soul Crew, said: “Hooligans from rivals clubs are uniting on this and it is like a ready-made army.”
But he denied that the group were intent on violence.
“It is not in our interests to go out and cause riots because we will get arrested and hit with Asbos,” he said.
“We do not look for violence but former football hooligans are able to defend themselves against trouble and are not afraid to protest when being pelted with missiles – like what happened in Birmingham.”
He said the groups have about 3,000 members across the UK and claimed that many come from Wales.
A Welsh Defence League page on the social networking site Facebook has more than 300 members.
Unite Against Fascism have widely condemned the groups as being made up of far-right sympathisers.
But Marsh, 44, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, denied that.
He said: “We are protesting against the preachers of hate who are actively encouraging young Muslims in this country to take part in a jihad against Britain.
“The UAF say we are racist but we have black members in the group and we have spoken with some Sikhs who want to join. Anyone can join our protest.”
Gerry Gable,(former ethnic terrorist and Zionist) publisher of the anti-fascism magazine Searchlight, said they had also found links between the EDL and other far-right groups. The August edition of Searchlight carries articles linking the EDL with known football hooligan groups.
Many of the anti-muslim groups were formed after muslim protesters harassed returning soldiers in Luton back in March.
Mr Gable is critical of both the way the police handled that incident and also of the role of Unite Against Fascism in Saturday’s trouble in Birmingham.
He said: “If the police had stepped in and arrested those eight Muslim protesters in Luton – which they had very good reason to for public order offences – it could have taken a lot of heat out of the situation.
“But we don’t think inciting people to burn the Union Jack, like the UAF did, is the right way to go about fighting racism. We want to fight it through a coalition of people from the community, working together to resolve issues.”
In response the news that Welsh hooligans were being recruited for such groups Mohammad Asghar,(Welsh name? Crikey!) Plaid Assembly Member for South Wales East, called for greater understanding between people of different religions.
“Wales has a proud record of welcoming people from many different countries over the years,” he said.
“I deplore any attempt to whip up racial hatred and, as a keen sports fan, I deplore any racism connected to football and other sports.
“I attended the Assembly launch of the anti-racism film Islamophobia, which is part of the Show Racism the Red Card campaign. This campaign has top footballers, including Wales’ Ryan Giggs, helping to educate people against racism and I fully support it.”(A Muslim who has support from a halfcaste "Welshman"?! Great diversity.)
Source (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/08/16/army-made-of-ex-hooligans-91466-24450935/)
Members of anti-Islamic fundamentalist groups the Welsh Defence League and Casuals United joined activists from the associated English Defence League in a protest against Muslim extremists in Birmingham last weekend.
Violence erupted at the protest, leading to a total of 34 arrests.
Former Cardiff City Soul Crew hooligan Jeff Marsh is one of the organisers of both groups.
He told Wales on Sunday that football hooligans are a “ready-made army” against Muslim fundamentalists.
Marsh, who has written two books about his exploits with the city’s infamous Soul Crew, said: “Hooligans from rivals clubs are uniting on this and it is like a ready-made army.”
But he denied that the group were intent on violence.
“It is not in our interests to go out and cause riots because we will get arrested and hit with Asbos,” he said.
“We do not look for violence but former football hooligans are able to defend themselves against trouble and are not afraid to protest when being pelted with missiles – like what happened in Birmingham.”
He said the groups have about 3,000 members across the UK and claimed that many come from Wales.
A Welsh Defence League page on the social networking site Facebook has more than 300 members.
Unite Against Fascism have widely condemned the groups as being made up of far-right sympathisers.
But Marsh, 44, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, denied that.
He said: “We are protesting against the preachers of hate who are actively encouraging young Muslims in this country to take part in a jihad against Britain.
“The UAF say we are racist but we have black members in the group and we have spoken with some Sikhs who want to join. Anyone can join our protest.”
Gerry Gable,(former ethnic terrorist and Zionist) publisher of the anti-fascism magazine Searchlight, said they had also found links between the EDL and other far-right groups. The August edition of Searchlight carries articles linking the EDL with known football hooligan groups.
Many of the anti-muslim groups were formed after muslim protesters harassed returning soldiers in Luton back in March.
Mr Gable is critical of both the way the police handled that incident and also of the role of Unite Against Fascism in Saturday’s trouble in Birmingham.
He said: “If the police had stepped in and arrested those eight Muslim protesters in Luton – which they had very good reason to for public order offences – it could have taken a lot of heat out of the situation.
“But we don’t think inciting people to burn the Union Jack, like the UAF did, is the right way to go about fighting racism. We want to fight it through a coalition of people from the community, working together to resolve issues.”
In response the news that Welsh hooligans were being recruited for such groups Mohammad Asghar,(Welsh name? Crikey!) Plaid Assembly Member for South Wales East, called for greater understanding between people of different religions.
“Wales has a proud record of welcoming people from many different countries over the years,” he said.
“I deplore any attempt to whip up racial hatred and, as a keen sports fan, I deplore any racism connected to football and other sports.
“I attended the Assembly launch of the anti-racism film Islamophobia, which is part of the Show Racism the Red Card campaign. This campaign has top footballers, including Wales’ Ryan Giggs, helping to educate people against racism and I fully support it.”(A Muslim who has support from a halfcaste "Welshman"?! Great diversity.)
Source (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/08/16/army-made-of-ex-hooligans-91466-24450935/)