U.S. International footballer's car petrol bombed!

[Angus Young]

Damarcus Beasley who plays football (soccer) for the U.S. And Glasgow Rangers had his car petrol bombed outside his home in Glasgow on Monday evening. This is the second time his property has been attacked since he moved to Glasgow and several of his team mates have suffered damage to property and vehicles in recent years.
I'm curious if these kind of attacks happen to athletes in the States and other parts of the world? Incidently the attack barely made the news in Scotland which shows how unsurprising such attacks are there.

[stobes21]

That sort of attack certainly isn't common here. Athletes are sometimes targets of robbers and burglars because of their rather high profile wealth. But the sort of targeted destruction you describe isn't something I have heard of. I've long heard that Football/Soccer hooligans are rather violent and out of control, but to go as far as to bomb the car of an opposing player seems quite extreme.

Now, riots after a hometown team win a major championship aren't unheard of, and usually property damage is associated with that. But it isn't targeted at any persons in particular -- just drunken idiots celebrating with random outbursts of violence.

[airplanedoc]

No that doesn't happen on our side of the pond. Usually our pro athletes do the damage to themselves. They shoot themselves in the leg, get busted for dog fighting, turning around in a DWI check because they are driving while drunk. Or get busted for owning a firearm with a felony conviction.

[ouch]

Nah. A couple of guys used to pick on Charles Barkley, but he threw them through a plate glass window.

[Go West Young Man]

Footballer? Petrol? Speak English man, I can barely understand you!

[airplanedoc]

I think this roughly interprets to a soccer players car was hit with a moltov cocktail.

America and England are two nations divided by a common language

[TstebinsB]

Considering how many US athletes carry weapons, it'd be pretty foolhardy to approach one.

[philamac]

Damarcus Beasley who plays football (soccer) for the U.S. And Glasgow Rangers had his car petrol bombed outside his home in Glasgow on Monday evening. This is the second time his property has been attacked since he moved to Glasgow and several of his team mates have suffered damage to property and vehicles in recent years.
I'm curious if these kind of attacks happen to athletes in the States and other parts of the world? Incidently the attack barely made the news in Scotland which shows how unsurprising such attacks are there.

I imagine attacks such as this come from the often bitter sectarian rivalry of some fans of the 'Old Firm', which is Glasgow Rangers Football Club (supported by some fans who percieve it as a Protestant club) and Glasgow Celtic Football Club (supported by some who percieve it as a Roman Catholic club).

[squarerigger]

That would never happen in the US. Most athletes in the US are armed and usually under the influence of some sort of mind alterring drug or body alterring drug so NO one attacks them. :thumbup:

[Tacheless]

Damarcus Beasley who plays football (soccer) for the U.S. And Glasgow Rangers had his car petrol bombed outside his home in Glasgow on Monday evening. This is the second time his property has been attacked since he moved to Glasgow and several of his team mates have suffered damage to property and vehicles in recent years.
I'm curious if these kind of attacks happen to athletes in the States and other parts of the world? Incidently the attack barely made the news in Scotland which shows how unsurprising such attacks are there.

I can assure you, this news was headlines in a few of the papers here in Scotland !!

Still being reported in todays Scottish Daily Record

Exclusive: DaMarcus Beasley firebombing was 'revenge for fling'
Feb 6 2010 Craig Mcdonald

RANGERS star DaMarcus Beasley's £65,000 motor was firebombed over a fling, the Record can reveal.

The single midfielder had been involved in a relationship with a woman which led to "tensions".

Her boyfriend is connected with leading underworld figures in the city.


The woman was spotted at Beasley's house in the west end of Glasgow just two nights before the attack - which was exclusively revealed in the Record.

It's understood detectives are probing claims the affair lay behind the torching of the BMW car.

The incident is not thought to be sectarian related or connected with his role playing for Rangers.

A source said last night: "DaMarcus has been involved with a woman and other people connected with her have found out.

"This has become the central theory over what happened to the car. The police are looking into this in great detail and it's a somewhat unsettling turn of events for all concerned."

The car was targeted in Queen's Gardens in posh Dowanhill, Glasgow, shortly after 11pm on Monday. The attack bore the hallmarks of a planned and possibly professional hit.

A hooded figure in dark clothes placed an object - thought to be a container of fuel - under Beasley's BMW 650i. He then walked backwards, pouring fuel for about five yards and lit it with a lighter.

The man then ran off and jumped into a waiting Audi A3 with false number plates which was parked at the bottom of the road.

The white car drove back past the blazing vehicle, then sped off along the quiet streets of Dowanhill at up to 60mph.

Witnesses dialled 999 at 11.05pm and the fire brigade were on the scene five minutes later.

Beasley, 27, came out of his penthouse flat, around 30 yards from the parked car, as firefighters were putting out the blaze.

In an exclusive interview with the Record, he said he had no idea about the motive for the bombing.

A police probe into the attack is "ongoing"...................................



And heres the headlines from the 4th of Feb. with Pictures of the moment his car blew up !!!!!!!!



http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/02/04/exclusive-revealed-the-moment-damarcus-beasley-s-car-was-petrol-bombed-as-defiant-rangers-ace-vows-he-won-t-be-driven-out-by-thugs-86908-22017395/

[rm71]

Doesn't happen in Australia either. Australian sports stars just end up in drunken fights in bars:001_tt2:

[CCMphysician]

Damarcus Beasley who plays football (soccer) for the U.S. And Glasgow Rangers had his car petrol bombed outside his home in Glasgow on Monday evening. This is the second time his property has been attacked since he moved to Glasgow and several of his team mates have suffered damage to property and vehicles in recent years.
I'm curious if these kind of attacks happen to athletes in the States and other parts of the world? Incidently the attack barely made the news in Scotland which shows how unsurprising such attacks are there.

Thank God it was only the petrol and not the car! :lol:

-CCM

[jones2289]

The fact that many athletes carry guns, and often carry them under the influence is scary enough. What makes the situation even worse is that the majority of them probably have no experience with firearms safety. They OBVIOUSLY have no training, because holding a handgun sideways and above your head isn't the most accurate way to aim at a target.

On the other hand, there are probably many athletes/celebrities who own guns and handle them responsibly. Unfortunately, a few can ruin it for everyone, and pulling out guns in locker rooms or shooting yourself in the leg is hardly the way to reflect a positive image on pro sports.

[Lynchmeister]

I spent some time living and studying just outside of Edinburgh and, as a naive college kid, was both fascinated and terrified by the...hmmm...for lack of a better word, I'll say "casual hooliganism" in the UK surrounding football and inner city life.

Some background on myself. I grew up in Midwest American Suburbia and didn't witness my first fist fight until high school, so violence not on TV was not something I was used to.

I remember when I got to Scotland, I was warned by some locals in the pub that I should stay away from Lothian Road at night because I'd probably get hassled at best, but more than likely get beat up and mugged.

Another common sight were signs in the pubs that read "No Football Stripes!" It amazed me that something like a soccer jersey could be the catalyst for a bar brawl. When I mentioned an upcoming trip to Glasgow, the first thing people told me was "do not wear football scarves or stripes (especially Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, or Hibs) and do not talk about religion."

Ok. So soccer and religion are hot topics and cause for a fight and are often associated with each other...kinda sorta. Then there are the firms. I'm a huge Irvine Welsh fan (he wrote the book Trainspotting, which then went onto become a movie) and in many of his novels the characters go to football matches looking to fight with the opposing team's supporters. In fact, the fighting takes precedence over the game. In addition to the associations between teams and religion, he also makes several references to unionism and republicanism as they pertain to the teams and their associated religions (protestant/Rangers/Hearts/Unionist...catholic/Celtic/Hibernian/Republican).

Can an Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman, or Welshman explain to this clueless, yet curious, midwestern, American guy just how and why religion, football, politics, and casual fighting all came together the way they did in the UK?

[airplanedoc]

In fact, the fighting takes precedence over the game.

Haven't you ever been to hockey?

[CCMphysician]

Haven't you ever been to hockey?

Brilliant! Gladiator fights. Now there's a sport I could get into.

-CCM

[Lynchmeister]

Haven't you ever been to hockey?

Of course...I'm from Minnesota. :tongue_sm Usually it's the players that fight, though. :laugh:

[airplanedoc]

Of course...I'm from Minnesota. :tongue_sm Usually it's the players that fight, though. :laugh:

Any hockey game I was ever at Pro, Minor league, College, US, Canada, etc. there as many fights in the crowd as there were on the ice.

[Tacheless]

I spent some time living and studying just outside of Edinburgh and, as a naive college kid, was both fascinated and terrified by the...hmmm...for lack of a better word, I'll say "casual hooliganism" in the UK surrounding football and inner city life.

Some background on myself. I grew up in Midwest American Suburbia and didn't witness my first fist fight until high school, so violence not on TV was not something I was used to.

I remember when I got to Scotland, I was warned by some locals in the pub that I should stay away from Lothian Road at night because I'd probably get hassled at best, but more than likely get beat up and mugged.

Another common sight were signs in the pubs that read "No Football Stripes!" It amazed me that something like a soccer jersey could be the catalyst for a bar brawl. When I mentioned an upcoming trip to Glasgow, the first thing people told me was "do not wear football scarves or stripes (especially Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, or Hibs) and do not talk about religion."

Ok. So soccer and religion are hot topics and cause for a fight and are often associated with each other...kinda sorta. Then there are the firms. I'm a huge Irvine Welsh fan (he wrote the book Trainspotting, which then went onto become a movie) and in many of his novels the characters go to football matches looking to fight with the opposing team's supporters. In fact, the fighting takes precedence over the game. In addition to the associations between teams and religion, he also makes several references to unionism and republicanism as they pertain to the teams and their associated religions (protestant/Rangers/Hearts/Unionist...catholic/Celtic/Hibernian/Republican).

Can an Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman, or Welshman explain to this clueless, yet curious, midwestern, American guy just how and why religion, football, politics, and casual fighting all came together the way they did in the UK?

I could .................

but it is such a long story .......:sad:

[rm71]

Haven't you ever been to hockey?

I went to a fight once and an ice hockey game broke out - Rodney Dangerfield.

[Lynchmeister]

I could .................

but it is such a long story .......:sad:

I'd settle for an abridged version. I really am curious...

Edit: I guess what I'm really looking to learn is: how and/or why did football get thrown into the mix? Anyone with an imagination and a clue about the UK's history can see how political and religous persecution would lead to violence, but I'm lost, yet fascinated, about how and why sports got brought into the mix.

[Angus Young]

I'd settle for an abridged version. I really am curious...

Edit: I guess what I'm really looking to learn is: how and/or why did football get thrown into the mix? Anyone with an imagination and a clue about the UK's history can see how political and religous persecution would lead to violence, but I'm lost, yet fascinated, about how and why sports got brought into the mix.

If you would like to try and understand the mentality behind football violence I'd suggest seeking out a movie called I.D. Starring Reece Dinsdale (I think) and also a made for tv play called The Firm starring Gary Oldman. There are other movies including a remake of The Firm but they try to glamourise the whole thing so you'd be best to avoid them.
My own short theory behind it all would be; take low paid/unemployed people with nothing in life to look forward to. Give them a football team they can get behind which gives them a feeling of belonging and a sense of tribalism. Add similar people who support a rival team which gives them the same feelings. Put both sets of supporters together, add alchohol and stand back.

[philamac]

I hate using simple generalisations but they may explain some of the reasons for football violence.

The matches (before the intervention of Sky) took place at three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, in stadiums located in heavily populated areas with loads of pubs and bars. Alcohol is a large part of the 'ritual' for many fans. Not all fans who drink a load of beer will go looking for trouble.

Even without the hooligans, football crowds are far more partisan and vocal than rugby crowds or tenis crowds for example. This has caused the segregation of fans in stadiums, and the segregation has influenced the way in which fans watch the game.

Rivalries between clubs exist, and can be healthy, but are easily leapt upon by some fans as a reason for aggression, violence etc. Also as I mentioned before there may be ethnic or sectarian or political and other reasons for fans to both affilliate with their own club and to resent other clubs and their fans. Once these problems become identified with a club or set of fans it can be very hard to get rid of, so violence is very easily provoked and/or offered.

Many academic studies have been written about football violence, you might want to try a few. Bill Buford wrote a book called 'Among the Thugs' which you may find interesting.

My own experience of football violence is limited thankfully to the recent Northern Ireland versus Poland World Cup qualifier. Some people came to make trouble, others came and made friends. I was chased down Tate's Avenue by a group of Polish thugs, but ten minutes later I was enjoying a beer and a joke with a couple of Polish fans.

[Lynchmeister]

If you would like to try and understand the mentality behind football violence I'd suggest seeking out a movie called I.D. Starring Reece Dinsdale (I think) and also a made for tv play called The Firm starring Gary Oldman. There are other movies including a remake of The Firm but they try to glamourise the whole thing so you'd be best to avoid them.
My own short theory behind it all would be; take low paid/unemployed people with nothing in life to look forward to. Give them a football team they can get behind which gives them a feeling of belonging and a sense of tribalism. Add similar people who support a rival team which gives them the same feelings. Put both sets of supporters together, add alchohol and stand back.


I hate using simple generalisations but they may explain some of the reasons for football violence.

The matches (before the intervention of Sky) took place at three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, in stadiums located in heavily populated areas with loads of pubs and bars. Alcohol is a large part of the 'ritual' for many fans. Not all fans who drink a load of beer will go looking for trouble.

Even without the hooligans, football crowds are far more partisan and vocal than rugby crowds or tenis crowds for example. This has caused the segregation of fans in stadiums, and the segregation has influenced the way in which fans watch the game.

Rivalries between clubs exist, and can be healthy, but are easily leapt upon by some fans as a reason for aggression, violence etc. Also as I mentioned before there may be ethnic or sectarian or political and other reasons for fans to both affilliate with their own club and to resent other clubs and their fans. Once these problems become identified with a club or set of fans it can be very hard to get rid of, so violence is very easily provoked and/or offered.

Many academic studies have been written about football violence, you might want to try a few. Bill Buford wrote a book called 'Among the Thugs' which you may find interesting.

My own experience of football violence is limited thankfully to the recent Northern Ireland versus Poland World Cup qualifier. Some people came to make trouble, others came and made friends. I was chased down Tate's Avenue by a group of Polish thugs, but ten minutes later I was enjoying a beer and a joke with a couple of Polish fans.

Thanks guys, for your candor, insight, and reading/viewing material suggestions! I'm will definitely check them out.