This is a timely thread for me- I have a bachelorette party tomorrow night! I promise to be on my best behavior!!

This is what happens when the alcohol lobby is allowed to buy the Gov.It is normal in UK to see large bands of 14 year olds very drunk in town centres.Occasionally the police confiscate the booze, otherwise they ignore it.Meanwhile the drinks companies, already banned from their habit of free drinks promos in clubs & places where young people gather, devise other ways of getting our youth hooked when young.There are many types of "alcopops" aimed specifically at the young.No politician dares do anything - the lobby is too powerful.
The results can be seen in the casualty departments of our hospitals every weekend.I can see no end to it.

Interesting article and thread. We were told about this sort of thing by the van driver, who picked us up at Prague airport and drove us to our hotel. Seems these groups liked to hang out with the ladies of the evening in Wenceslas after dark. He was advising us this was not a place to go.

We saw two groups in Old Town Square at an outside cafe, where we stopped for lunch, guzzling beer, laughing and talking at the top of their lungs. Gave the waitresses a hard time and also every unfortunate female who walked by.

Didn't realize it had reached the proportions noted in the article. Very sad isn't it? All these young males wasting their lives.

Allypally, I don't necessarily agree that beer and footie are a bad mix.
But when you add police dressed in riot gear into the equation the formula is bound to spill over.
I know. I have been to a footie match where the Police were hellbent on hitting two shades of sh** out of someone, as it happened it was a family of Dad,Mum and 3 boys under 8yrs who got it amongst others.
Right in front of my eyes, and the only reason I didn't get hit was because en route to my car I ran like hell with my daughter and son the other way, away from the police.
The police attend these games demanding trouble and subsequently they get it.

Muck

Mucky, I know what you mean because I couldn't believe how ridiculous the police were being - particulary the mounted ones - when I went to watch the Changing of the Guard at Buck Palace. We got seriously pushed around.

However, I wonder why the police need to dress in riot gear at all for a sporting match?? Having been to matches on both sides of the pond, there is a profound difference. I made the mistake of watching Tottenham v. Leicester a few years ago and I cannot tell you how appalled I was by the behaviour of a fan sitting directly behind me, drunk, of course. Having to listen to the 'C' word about a thousand times, I lost it when he stood up and screamed at a Tottenham fan 'sit down Jew-boy or else Klinnsman (german player for Tottenham) will gas you'. I could not believe I spent the better part of £20 for this. And just getting into the ground was unbelievable: riot police, mounted police, the horses had visors and protective gear, german shepherds. It was just plain stupid. All this over a simple game (i prefer 'ice' hockey).

Over the years I have witnessed a lot of drunken behaviour related to football. Maybe it doesn't always spill over into violence but a lot of it is nasty aggression after some men have had 'a few' while watching the game, either on tv or live. It could be something as sinister as 'have you got a boyfriend, love?' while you're on your way to the loo, and all his friends laugh at you.

Anyway, the moron element is alive and well in Britain, with or without football. Let's hope it ends sometime... :-)