PRO-TURKISH CHANTS SPARK CLASH BETWEEN SANDZAK, NIS FOOTBALL FANS IN SERBIA
BBC Monitoring International Reports - March 21, 2005

Excerpt from report by Serbian Nis-based City Radio on 21 March

(Announcer) Nis police have filed criminal charges against four fans who were involved in scuffles ahead of a match between (Nis-based) Radnicki and Novi Pazar (Serbia-Montenegro Second Division football) in Cair Stadium (Nis) on Saturday (19 March). Charges were filed on the basis of a law against violence and indecent behaviour at sports stands.

The incident was caused by Novi Pazar fans who first started chanting: This is Turkey!, Serbia, never!, and then started to physically settle scores with the home team's fans. The police promptly intervened and prevented a large-scale fight. Radnicki sports director Goran Stojiljkovic said that the arrival of the Novi Pazar fans had been promptly announced, and that security in Nis stadium was organized in the usual manner, as is the case with all other matches. However, he added that the fans who had caused the incident had not arrived in the club from the Novi Pazar organization but on their own.
 

Source: City Radio, Nis, in Serbian 1500 gmt 21 Mar 05

Copyright 2005 Financial Times Information
All rights reserved
Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
Copyright 2005 BBC Monitoring/BBC

Posted for Fair Use only.