It’s difficult not to get pretty disheartened by the near-constant stories of fan violence that have been emerging from Euro 2016.
We want to read about wonder goals, epic underdog triumphs and Joachim Low scratching himself on camera. Thankfully, all that stuff has occurred, but there’s no denying that nasty off-the-pitch antics have been the big story of this tournament, and much of it has involved England fans.
It’s easy, however, to be swept away by the dramatic headlines, and forget that the vast majority of fans in France are there simply to enjoy the company of supporters from across the continent and almost certainly watch England crash out on penalties in the first knockout round. The average Euro 2016-goer is one who would probably admit that they don’t always remember to recycle their glassware, but has absolutely no interest in launching it at a riot shield.
It’s great, then, to see this Facebook post from Dean Hoban, a fan who travelled to France and experienced none of the pointless carnage that seems to be dominating newspaper headlines. In fact, most of his pictures show just how well most people were getting on.
The post has been liked over 2,900 times and shared nearly 5,000 times at the time of writing, and Dean has encouraged everyone to share their positive experiences. We’re not suggesting for one second that there aren’t English supporters looking for trouble in France, but the dickheads are in the minority.
All images courtesy of Dean James Hoban/Facebook
Got a positive Euros experience you’d like to share? Let us know at hello@JOE.co.uk, or drop us a message on Facebook.
