London Riot - England vs Holland call off

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I want to see the orange kick England arse, but it is not to be, the riot cancel the friendly match. I am looking forward to this match but it is now cancelled.

0955: FOOTBALL - England's friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley tomorrow has been called off in the wake of the rioting in London, the Football Association confirmed today.




Police in riot gear stand near a burning car in Hackney Rioting in London has caused sports fixtures to be postponed on police advice

England's friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley on Wednesday has been called off following three nights of rioting in London.

The Football Association confirmed the decision on their website on Tuesday.

Carling Cup matches at Charlton, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Bristol City have all been postponed.

However, Edgbaston officials say the third Test between England and India starting in Birmingham on Wednesday will go ahead as planned.

BBC Sport understands the Premier League have had talks with the police over this weekend's matches involving London clubs but believe it is too early for a decision to be taken.

The FA's managing director of Club England Adrian Bevington wrote on Twitter: "Disappointing for game to be called off, but very good communication with Met [Metropolitan Police], Brent [Council] and Government today - sensible decision."

Bert van Oostveen, chief executive of the Dutch federation the KNVB, explained: "The police in London could not guarantee the safety of our players and our supporters."

The England team were still planning to train as normal at London Colney on Tuesday morning, before returning to their respective clubs.
MATCHES OFF

* Wednesday: England v Netherlands (international friendly)
* Tuesday: Charlton v Reading (Carling Cup)
* Tuesday: West Ham v Aldershot (Carling Cup)
* Tuesday: Crystal Palace v Crawley Town (Carling Cup)
* Tuesday: Bristol City v Swindon (Carling Cup)

England general manager Franco Baldini told BBC Sport: "At least we got the chance to stay together and have a training session.

"We are a bit disappointed - but mainly because of what has happened to London. All the rest is not that important. The next time we'll get together will be before the Bulgaria game on 29 August."

No decision has been taken regarding tickets, with the FA set to make an announcement later.

Defender Rio Ferdinand said on Twitter: "England vs Holland game is off, good call. Who wants to see a game of football when our country is in turmoil?"

Meanwhile BBC sports news reporter Joe Wilson, in Birmingham for the third Test, said on Tuesday that nearby hotels had been advised to lock their doors.

He wrote on Twitter: "Helicopters circling over Bull Ring, about half mile from England hotel. Spoke to England head of security, confident all players safe."

England batsman Kevin Pietersen revealed in a tweet to broadcaster Piers Morgan that the team were locked in their hotel ahead of the Test match as trouble flared in the second city.

A statement from the Indian Cricket Board, while confirming that the squad were accounted for and safe, said that team management would be keeping a close eye on the situation.

The teams are staying in Birmingham city centre ahead of the Test match at Edgbaston, south of the city, with England scheduled to practise at the ground on Tuesday.
Continue reading the main story


West Ham's game against Aldershot was the first to be called off, announcing the news on the Hammers website.

Charlton's stadium, The Valley, is close to Lewisham where rioting occurred on Monday.

A statement on Charlton's website read: "Clearly the most important factor is the people's safety. The police have told us they believe the match should be postponed on safety grounds and obviously we have taken that advice."

Crystal Palace were also set to play Crawley Town at Selhurst Park on Tuesday but that match was postponed, given the stadium is close to the scene of disorder in Croydon.

With the unrest spreading to other cities across England, Bristol City's match Swindon was also called off for safety reasons.

And Tottenham's Premier League fixture against Everton on Saturday could also potentially be in doubt, although a statement on the club's website on Monday said that everything was being done to ensure the match went ahead, with fans urged to check the official website for updates.

In London, violence broke out on Monday for a third consecutive day with riot police deployed and firefighters tackling blazes across the capital, following disturbances in Tottenham on Saturday evening and Enfield on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, BBC sports news reporter Leon Mann tweeted: "Organisers of Ghana v Nigeria tell me [Tuesday's] game still set to go ahead at Watford FC as planned."

With London 2012 less than a year away, the British Olympic Association said that the current situation in the capital should not affect preparations.

"It makes an Olympic Games and a Paralympic Games all the more important. We need a reason to come together," BOA's director of communications Darryl Seibel told Sky Sports News.

"What better city to do it in than London. It is the only city to be honoured with the Olympic Games on three occasions."

Asked if he was aware of any damage caused to Olympic venues he said: "I'm not aware of it, no."

 

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Fire fighters and riot police survey the area as fire rages through a building in Tottenham, north London on Aug. 7, 2011. A demonstration against the death of a local man turned violent and cars and shops were set ablaze.

A rioter throws a burning wooden plank at police in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011

 

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London multiculturalism

Mounted police officers chase rioters on the streets in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011

Riot police officers face off with protesters in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011.

 

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Re: London multiculturalism

A masked protester hurls an object toward riot police officers in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011

A policeman in riot gear stands guard in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011

 

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A double decker bus burns as riot police try to contain a large group of people on a main road in Tottenham on August 6, 2011

Police officers detain a man in Enfield, north London August 7, 2011. Police said they were called to Enfield, a few miles north of Tottenham, where youths had smashed two shop windows and damaged a police car.

 

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Fire rages through a building in Tottenham on Aug. 7, 2011.

Riot police officers escort an injured man after arresting him in Tottenham on Aug. 7, 2011

 

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A protester faces off with riot police officers on the streets in Tottenham on Aug. 7, 2011.

Police officers make their way on the streets in Tottenham on Aug. 7, 2011.

 

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Buildings burn on Tottenham High Road in London during protests on August 6, 2011.

Police officers in riot gear walk past a burning building in Tottenham on August 7, 2011

 

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A shop and police car burn as riot police try to contain a large group of people on a main road in Tottenham on August 6, 2011.

A woman walks through the debris with two children as riot police try to contain a large group of people on a main road in Tottenham on August 6 2011.

 

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A policeman walks past a damaged jewelery shop in Enfield, north London on August 7, 2011.

Police cordon off an area on August 7, 2011 during unrest in Enfield.

 

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A police officer patrols as firemen continue to dowse buildings set alight during riots in Tottenham on August 7, 2011.

Residents watch as a building burns after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011.

 

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Japan little social welfare - no looting after earthquake, England massive social welfare for poor - no disaster - massive looting

Animals are taken from a pet store after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011

Aaron Biber, 89, assesses the damage to his hairdressing salon after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011.

 

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Burnt out cars lie in the road after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011.

A man stands next to a burnt out van after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011 .

 

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A riot policeman advances past a burning building in Croydon, south London August 8, 2011. Rioting and looting spread across London on Monday as hooded youths set buildings and cars ablaze, smashed shop windows and hurled bottles and stones at police in a third night of violence in Britain's worst unrest in decades.

 

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A man stands in front of a burning car in Ealing, London August 9, 2011. Looting by groups of hooded youths spread to Ealing in west London and Camden in the north of the British capital late on Monday, the third night of violence which police have blamed on criminal thugs.

 

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Tuesday, August 9, 2011 3:43 AM GMT
London Riots Spread to Third UK City

By Franklin Cooper

Rioting in England has moved beyond London, spreading north to the cities of Liverpool and Birmingham Monday night.

Like a train running from London to Liverpool, the riot first had to stop at Birmingham before moving further north. Birmingham sits about 100 miles away from both London in the southeast and Liverpool in the northwest.

In what police and the British media are calling a "copycat riot," gangs of masked youth began looting retail shops in the center of the city, and the new Bullring shopping complex was attacked. Anywhere from 30 to 80 people have been arrested so far in the midlands city, according to varying reports.

In Liverpool, police are reporting a "number of isolated outbreaks of disorder," including the familiar trademarks of the London rioters, namely burning cars and broken windows.

Liverpool is traditionally a working class city, with a similar reputation as the tough, blue-collar Tottenham, where the riots began Saturday evening. Witnesses are detailing incidents of violence and destruction mirroring what has been happening London for the past few days.

"They are stopping cars, pulling people out of the cars, then setting fire to the vehicles. Every car they have walked past has been absolutely trashed, with all of the windows smashed," a Liverpool resident told Australia's Sydney Morning Herald. "Literally, hundreds of cars have been damaged."

"We can confirm that officers are dealing with a number of isolated outbreaks of disorder in the south Liverpool area," a spokeswoman for Merseyside Police in Liverpool stated.

"Officers were called at around 10 p.m. to reports of vehicles on fire and criminal damage.

"A number of officers were deployed to the area to deal with the incidents and the force is dealing with its partners and other members of the emergency services."

In the London neighborhoods of Hackney and Peckham, masked and hooded looters attacked and set fire to city buses.

"We are getting growing reports of bus drivers being caught in the middle of the unrest breaking out across London. We are extremely concerned for the safety of these workers and their passengers," stated Peter Kavanagh, a union representative for Transport for London.

Rioting and looting has been ongoing in the British capital since Saturday, when angry citizens of Tottenham marched to police headquarters to protest the shooting of 29 year-old Mark Duggan. The anarchy then spread to Hackney, Peckham and Lewisham on Monday afternoon and reached the neighborhoods of Ealing, Camden and Croydon by nightfall.

More than 300 police officers from other cities have come to the aid of London's metropolitan police. Anticipating further violence, police have built barricades in Shepard's Bush and closed streets in Harlesden.

Additionally, stores closed in advance of potential looting in Stratford, Clapton and Islington.

At last report, 215 people have been arrested in London so far, and 27 have been charged. Police reported at least 35 officers injured.

 

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Masked man walks past a burning car outside a Carhartt store in Hackney on August 8, 2011 Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

 

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People kick in the window of a jewellers near the Bullring centre in Birmingham

 

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A looted mobile phone shop near the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham

 

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Police officers in riot gear detain a man after shops were looted in Birmingham