Tonight:
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Comment: a cruel slip
Evening Standard22.05.08
There have been few crueller moments in football history than John Terry's slip on a rain-sodden pitch during the penalty shoot-out in last night's Champions League Final.
It followed 120 minutes of pulsating football in which both teams had given their all - a fine advertisement for the English game and a welcome change from the usually stultifying major European finals.
It was, though, only a game - something that was obscured by the alcohol-fuelled violence afterwards in west London. Twice in the past week, terrific sporting occasions have been marred by hooligans turning on the police. This has to stop. If supporters cannot watch a match on the big screen or in a bar without becoming violent, then the authorities must place restrictions on fans gathering in bars. Chelsea deserve sympathy - but not the fans who spoiled what until then had been a magnificent evening.
Reader views (2)
It couldn't have happened to a more worthy player. A cruel slip? You must be talking about Van der Saar's slips to give Chelsea the equaliser. Terry's snide spit and comment at Tevez (whilst pretending to wipe his nose with sleeve so he wasn't spotted) sums him up. Cheers JT with love from Manchester.
- Champions Of Europe, Manchester
Can you believe that this drink fuelled thuggery, is all over a lost game of football?
Footballers and their supporters are not noted for their I.Q. Add alcohol to this, and you have the all too frequent sickening display of the violence we have witnessed.
We need stiffer sentencing for mindless acts of violence like this.
- Neil, Liverpool (UK)
