' Football Fans ordered to return to face riot charges '

World Football

' Football Fans ordered to return to face riot charges from 10 years ago '

Published Wednesday 2nd July 2014

Three England football fans deported from Portugal during the Euro 2004 championships have been ordered to return to face charges of rioting.

The charges date back to June 2004 when some 400 England fans clashed with police in the holiday resort of Albufeira on Portugal’s Algarve.

Mounted officers and riot police with dogs moved in after a local bar was pelted with chairs, bottles and tables in a night of disturbances that left several police officers and fans injured.

Several dozen England fans were arrested and deported after summary court hearings.

After arriving back in the UK they were told by British police that no further action would be taken.

But Portuguese authorities have now named them as arguidos - or suspects – and ordered them to return to stand trial on charges of rioting. If convicted they could face up to five years in prison.



Berkshire builder Richard Freeman claims he was beaten by Portuguese police and held in custody for three days before being deported.

He denies being involved in the disturbances and said he was shocked and scared when Sky News told him he had been summoned.

He said: “It’s the first I’ve heard of it. After all this time, it’s a farce. I’ve no idea what to do. If I go back what chance have I got of a fair trial? If I don’t go, they might extradite me.”

Newly-wed Lewis Andrews, from Oxfordshire, is another wanted suspect. He said: “I’m not going to court because they might arrest me again.

“I was just walking back to my hotel doing nothing when police attacked me with batons. Why are they bringing this up now, after 10 years?”

Some 21 other England fans were considered for belated prosecution, but because of the time delay they are unlikely to be returned. Prosecutors say they have until December to prosecute the other three.

Kent fireman Garry Mann was arrested during the clashes and convicted after a brief trial. Six years after he was deported he was extradited to Portugal and imprisoned.

fuckin hell......10 years ago

That's naughty after all these years is it because the English are back over thee enquiring into the McCann s missing child still or is this just a coincidence quite lately Annis / Carl :

Shame we can't deport the Mafia man from London back to Italy to serve his sentance as prisons in Italy are to harsh.

Got back from Albufiera yesterday, great place to visit. There were hundreds of Dutch during their games, they even had a Dutch bar, the music was pumping in there Dutch style.

Got back from Albufiera yesterday, great place to visit. There were hundreds of Dutch during their games, they even had a Dutch bar, the music was pumping in there Dutch style.

I'm off a week tomorrow on a stag,you recommend any tidy places?

Got back from Albufiera yesterday, great place to visit. There were hundreds of Dutch during their games, they even had a Dutch bar, the music was pumping in there Dutch style.

I'm off a week tomorrow on a stag,you recommend any tidy places?

The strip is good for bars etc

Got back from Albufiera yesterday, great place to visit. There were hundreds of Dutch during their games, they even had a Dutch bar, the music was pumping in there Dutch style.

I'm off a week tomorrow on a stag,you recommend any tidy places?

Well there is 2 places to go in Albufiera, the new town and the old town. Both packed full of bars and nightclubs, you really need to check them both out if you can not far apart. Was on a family holiday, but went into both towns on this piss with a load of welsh and English guys from our hotel to watch a couple of the English games and wales v South Africa, was surprised how good the nightlife was you'll have a blast, especially with the WC still on it will be packed with who ever is playing.

They can use the anti-democratic European Arrest Warrant. This can be used on someones say so, for example, say you stayed at a hotel anywhere in the EU and lets say a fight broke out and things were smashed, etc. You went home to the UK the next day, and the owner made a complaint to the police and told them several of the guests staying were involved, he could just throw names at the police and have no evidence it was you and they would issue a EAW against those names and the british police would arrest you and put you on a plane without a British court involved. You can then spend weeks in a foreign prison awaiting the evidence against you. It's a nightmare and goes against everything Britain stands for. Can you believe Labour signed us up to this.