The worsening football violence in eastern Europe is out of sight and out of mind for the west, says Simon Evans. But not for long

While possible violence at Euro 2000 occupies the minds and column inches of the west European media, the continent’s other half, as usual, is dealing with much more real and pressing problems. The second weekend of April saw serious crowd violence in St Petersburg, Budapest, Lodz and Bucharest. These were not western-style scuffles or skirmishes. Hooliganism in eastern Europe is proper stuff: rubber batons and tear gas, head-splitting and hospitalising. The most serious clashes were in St Petersburg, where one fan died during the latest in a series of full-scale riots that have greeted the start of the Russian season.

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The murder conviction of an Atletico Madrid fan has focused attention on Spain's indulgence of far right hooligan gangs. Phil Ball reports

On the night of December 8, 1998, outside one of the turnstiles of Atlético Madrid’s Vicente Calderón stadium, someone shoved a 9cm steel blade into the heart of Aitor Zabaleta, a 27-year-old Real Sociedad fan. Lost in the middle of a ruck of Atlético fans who had suddenly surrounded him and cut him off from his girlfriend, he was dead by the time she managed to get back to him.

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The killing of two Leeds fans in Turkey was a shock to David O'Byrne, one of the first journalists on the scene. Here he describes the reaction in Istanbul

I’m still in shock. I’ve lived in Istanbul for 12 years – for ten years within walking distance of Taksim Square where the two Leeds United supporters were murdered on April 5. And I don’t understand why it happened.

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The killing of two fans in Turkey put Leeds United under intense scrutiny. Mark Rutter says its response shows how far the club has come

“Welcome to civilisation.” So read the banner displayed outside Elland Road before Leeds United’s UEFA Cup semi-final second leg against Galatasaray. Produced for the benefit of the TV cameras as a barbed message to watching Turks, this bold claim to the moral high ground must have caused a few raised eyebrows among English fans who have visited this part of west Yorkshire at various times over the past 30 years.

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Alex Horsburgh investigates the life and times of the Cowdenbeath chairman, a man who sacked his manager the week after they were promoted

Distinguishing features  Small and wiry, reminiscent of Granville from Open All Hours.

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