# Should the UK ban soccer hooligans from leaving the country? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 17, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552 "2002-05-17T14:15:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/21 "2002-05-20T13:39:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Racer1 \* > \*\* > > The trouble is, as mentioned above, it is so hard to identify the main troublemakers, and with no proof these laws are as strict as they can really get. I may understand this wrong, but I think the UK police are going so far as to warm the Japanese and Korean police about people who have violent records, but not even football related ones. If so, coupled with the bans, they can’t do much more than they’re doing. \*\* Its not that hard. Anyone wearing this stuff is, without doubt, a full-on hooligan. No one else would wear it to a football match. (or pay these prices for what is pretty pony clobber). [http://www.bbclothing.co.uk/product.php?RN=1021944955230](http://www.bbclothing.co.uk/product.php?RN=1021944955230) ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/22 "2002-05-20T14:09:02Z")
Heh, the police should hire you as their hooligan spotter, **Owl**! 😃 Hey, wait a minute, I have some Adidas trainers and I’m not a hooligan! Ah well, I won’t be buying Adidas much now Spurs have moved to Kappa anyway. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/23 "2002-05-20T14:40:59Z")
North Korea? Cool! Then let the hooligans try their stunts there. I was under the impression it was Japan and South Korea jointly hosting the WC. ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/24 "2002-05-20T15:01:09Z")
Nah, **Monty** , you had it right the first time. It’s just in Japan and South Korea. I’m guessing **Owl** either mistyped or was tarring all Koreans with the same brush. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/25 "2002-05-21T09:15:48Z")
Obviously I meant South Korea (North Korea is also horrible). I suspect they would eat the hoolies in N Korea. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/26 "2002-05-21T11:56:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by owlstretchingtime \* > \*\*Obviously I meant South Korea (North Korea is also horrible). I suspect they would eat the hoolies in N Korea. \*\* I’d pay good money to see hoolies try to play the hard man in North Korea, I really would. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/27 "2002-05-21T13:42:10Z")
Racer: The European police may not have been “all that soft” on them, but there’s a decided difference between a gaol in England and a holding-cell jail in Japan. Let’s say that the latter’s not the place to be. ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/28 "2002-05-21T14:57:53Z")
English Soccer hooligans vs North Korea. That would be worth tuning in for. ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/29 "2002-05-21T14:58:35Z")
**Monty** : That would certainly seem to be the case so you’ll get no argument from me there. I think the police in Europe do crack down as hard as they can, but I guess their hands are tied by the people who decide on the sentences and run the prisons. They still arrest potential troublemakers for the slightest thing and punish to the full extend of the law. I don’t really expect England fans to cause any trouble at this year’s event after all the measures to ban the troublemakers. The only thing that worries me is the possibility of innocent English fans getting attacked by opposing fans because of the reputation. ---
**Author:** ![Sebhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Sebhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebhal)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/30 "2002-05-22T12:54:45Z")
I have heard that they’ve sent spotters out to help spot the hooligans, but also to help the Japanese/ South Korean police discriminate between genuine troublemakers and people have a good, harmless (if a little rowdy) time. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552/31 "2002-05-23T12:28:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary Kumquat \* > \*\* > I’d pay good money to see hoolies try to play the hard man in North Korea, I really would. \*\* And I’d be there with you! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-ban-soccer-hooligans-from-leaving-the-country/109552.md?page=1)