UEFA have begun disciplinary proceedings against both Dundee United and Dinamo Moscow after violence marred a Europa League match between the sides at Tannadice last week.
Once again Scottish football has been caught up in another false dawn and it seems that the demise of Rangers did not herald a new era for Scottish football after all. Hooliganism and bigotry were supposed to be in the past now that there was no more Rangers. Alas it seems not, after the crowd trouble that marred the Dundee United Europa League clash with Dinamo Moscow, with United fans openly brawling with the Russian support.
Violence flared in a stand in the first few minutes of the game, before police and stewards managed to separate the two sets of supporters. BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound presenter Richard Gordon said: “I have to say I cannot remember the last time I saw fighting like that inside a Scottish football ground.” UEFA will also take a dim view of the United fan who ran onto the pitch to celebrate after United scored the opening goal.
This is in addition to Motherwell fans singing sectarian songs about Huns in their Champions League qualifier. Please check out the anti-sectarian Nil by Mouth website about the use of this word. It seems hooliganism and sectarianism are both alive and well.
Dundee United and Dynamo Moscow have been charged with two counts of breaching UEFA rules and will learn later this month if they are to face punishment. Scottish football and a compliant Scottish media may well be able to sweep this kind of behaviour under the carpet. But for the sake of Scottish football we can only hope that UEFA take a strong line. United have proved to be repeat offenders and must take their punishment. It seems that all the good work done by the club in rallying the extra support to make up for the shortfall in revenue now that Rangers are no longer there could go up in smoke, as UEFA will surely fine United for their second offence in as many years. The club was fined €5,000 for crowd trouble in last year’s competition. Will UEFA close a stand this time or make United play their next home game behind closed doors?
As for Motherwell, UEFA have been informed of the clubs sectarian song sheet. Celtic has already been fined by UEFA for illicit chanting, for illicit read sectarian. No comment from the Well Society expected anytime soon over the sectarian chants. We shall wait for the UEFA response.
Surely the minimum these two cash strapped clubs can expect is a heavy fine for the behaviour of their supporters. After all we wouldn’t want the integrity of the Scottish game to be compromised by the lack of action against teams who break the rules.
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