Riot police disperse England fans in Lille

Throughout the day, police said, 36 people were arrested for various offences as Russia lost to Slovakia in Lille and England prepared to play Wales in the same Euro 2016 group in nearby Lens on Thursday. There had been fears of violence in the north between Russian and English fans after they had clashed when their teams met in the southern city of Marseille on Saturday.

In the event, few Russians were in evidence on the streets of Lille after their team’s 2-1 defeat in an afternoon fixture and the main trouble in the evening was caused by English fans chanting outside bars in groups of up to 200, watched by police. 

After dark, as the ancient centre of Lille filled with local people streaming home from a screening of the French team’s victory over Albania, confrontations between small groups of supporters prompted riot forces to intervene, chasing fans along streets, using pepper spray, dog handlers and acoustic grenades. 

There was little physical violence and the authorities said only 16 people involved in some way in the European football tournament were treated in Lille hospitals throughout Wednesday. A game of cat-and-mouse, as England supporters moved on to gather elsewhere and sing defiantly at police, eventually broke up in the small hours as fans drifted off in anticipation of the game against Wales in Lens. 

Violence in Marseille before and after England’s 1-1 draw with Russia, including a charge in the stadium by Russian fans, has seen the hosts of the 2018 World Cup warned by UEFA that they will be disqualified if there is a repeat of such disorder.