Archive for football club

Ultras Ahlawy to protest Tuesday against football season

by admin
October 1st, 2012

The leaders of the Ultras Ahlawy, the hardcore fan group for Cairo’s Ahly football club, announced plans to hold a protest in front of the Sports Ministry Tuesday against the Premier League football season.

The ultras’ call comes in response to a demonstration staged by former and current footballers and media personalities on Monday demanding that sports activity be resumed following a months-long hiatus after the Port Said massacre.  

According to state-run newspaper Al-Ahram, former Ahly goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir organized and led the protest in front of the Sports Ministry on Monday. Shobeir is a former member of the dissolved National Democratic Party.

On 1 February, 74 people were killed and hundreds injured when Port Said’s Masry supporters stormed the pitch after a rare victory over Ahly.

Ahly fans and their supporters say it is unacceptable that the football season resume before the perpetrators of the massacre are punished. The Port Said Criminal Court is currently hearing a case in which 75 people are charged with responsibility for the deaths, including the former head of security in Port Said, three of his aides, police officers who were working security at the match, and some Masry Club fans.

In a statement on Facebook, the Ultras Ahlawy invited its members as well as any Egyptian who supports their cause to gather in front of the Tarsana Club in Mohandiseen Tuesday to march to the Sports Ministry, where they will begin protesting at noon to reject the return of Premier League games until the trial is over and to demand corruption be purged from the sports sector.

The group noted that they have no problem with lower football divisions holding games and only call for the postponement of the Premier League season.

“Sports activity will not be resumed, especially the Premier League, regardless of pressure, until retribution has been achieved,” one of the group’s leaders said.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
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First football match since Port Said not Morsy’s decision, says spokesperson

by admin
September 9th, 2012

The president was not responsible for deciding whether the first official Egyptian football match is played since the Port Said Stadium violence in February, President Mohamed Morsy’s spokesperson said at a press conference Sunday.

The match is set to begin at 9 pm, with Ahly and ENPI clubs facing off.

“It is up to the Sports Ministry to cancel or allow the match to be played,” spokesperson Yasser Ali said.

Sports Minister Al-Emary Farouq insisted Saturday that the match would go ahead.

The two teams are set to play Sunday night without spectators, kicking off the Egyptian Football Association’s Super Cup tournament. Alexandria security forces had earlier expressed reservations about their preparedness to secure the match. The match was set to begin at 8 pm, but local security said they would need one extra hour to secure the match.

Fans of Ahly, Cairo’s leading football club, do not want the match to be played until retribution is attained for the 74 people killed in the so-called Port Said Stadium massacre. Violence erupted that night when fans of the local Masry Club stormed the field and clashed with visiting Ahly fans.

On Sunday, thousands from the Ultras Ahlawy, a group of hardcore Ahly football fans, marched to Borg al-Arab Stadium, where the match is set to be played, threatening to stop the match by force.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
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Ultras Ahlawy accuses Interior Ministry of instigation against members

by admin
September 9th, 2012

The Ultras Ahlawy, an association of hardcore supporters of Egypt’s leading football club, Ahly, have accused the Interior Ministry of plotting a clash between Bedouin tribes in Alexandria’s Borg al-Arab area and its members who were planning to storm the stadium hosting a Super Cup match between their premiere league champion team and Egypt Cup’s winner, ENPPI.

Sports Minister Al-Emary Farouq had announced that the game would be played at Borg al-Arab Stadium on Sunday despite the tensions surrounding the event. Ahly fans had threatened to storm the pitch during the game to protest the resumption of football activity before prosecuting the perpetrators of the violence that followed a premiere league match between Ahly and Masry in Port Said Stadium in February and left 74 dead.

Last week, scores of Ultras Ahlawy members broke into the Egyptian Football Association’s office in Cairo to protest the EFA’s plans to start a new soccer season on 17 September, before Farouq decided to call off the league for one month.

The group said on its Facebook page Sunday that “the Interior Ministry has returned to its ‘dirty’ practices by playing Egyptians off against each other.”

The group said it possesses a record of a phone call by an Interior Ministry official instigating the residents near the stadium against the ultras.

The group also said it cancelled a gathering previously slated for Monday.

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Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
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England’s Leeds United fans frustrated over Bahrain takeover

by admin
July 29th, 2012

Leeds United fans frustrated over Bahrain deal.

A Bahrain bid to purchase the English Championship club Leeds United has seen fans of the team lash out at the group of investors led by a Bahraini royal.

The Leeds United Supporters’ Trust (LUST) said that they are fed up with how the club is dealing with the sale and have voiced opposition to the Bahraini-led group of investors owning the popular British team.

“The complete silence from the buyers, and the wholly inadequate statements from the club itself, have kept Leeds fans in the dark about what will become of their club after this summer,” LUST said.

Their comments come as reports suggest the takeover, reported to be led by Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s ruling dynasty, could be finalized within no more than two weeks.

LUST added: “We respect the need for confidentiality, and that the legal process needs time. However, we believe that Leeds United’s fans should also be respected.

“By not responding to calls from the fans for information, the new owners are not beginning this key relationship in a positive way. Our members want to support a transparent and open Leeds United, and being kept in the dark about who currently owns or runs their football club does nothing to achieve this.”

The Trust said the new owners needed to “start work now if they are to build a strong, mutually trusting relationship with the fans at Elland Road.”

BM

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Categories Egypt Sport
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UAE club fires Argentine great Diego Maradona as coach

by admin
July 12th, 2012

Diego Maradona fired from UAE club.

DUBAI: United Arab Emirates football club al-Wasl on Tuesday fired Argentine great Diego Maradona after only one season, despite his contract granting him a second.

The club, which finished 8th in the domestic league and failed to win a second-tier competition, left the board of directors frustrated.

The firing comes after Maradona had seen the club back him for a second season at the helm last month.

The club had said Maradona would remain as the team’s coach despite a disappointing loss in the GCC Champions League final that forced the entire board of directors to resign.

The loss had left many questioning whether the former Argentine great would remain in the UAE.

But Wasl Club chairman Mohammad Ahmad bin Fahad dismissed in mid-June reports that Maradona had resigned as a “mistake.”

He said Maradona’s future had not been discussed at the board meeting Sunday.

“Maradona is the head coach of Al Wasl and has the complete authority for the program,” Bin Fahad said.

“He will continue with us. There is no change in his position.”

But on Tuesday Maradona was given the pink slip and booted as the club’s manager.

BM

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Categories Egypt Sport
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Ahly Club denies support for presidential candidates in run-off

by admin
May 30th, 2012

The Ahly Club, the largest football club in Egypt, issued an official statement on Wednesday saying that neither the management nor the players support any of the presidential candidates in the run-off.

“The club is impartial to all candidates and wishes the people would choose the best for the interests of the country,” the statement said, denying claims to the contrary that were posted on Facebook and Twitter.

The club’s star footballer Mohamed Abu Treika and executive director Hadi Khashaba had earlier announced their support for Mohamed Morsy, while OnTV talk show host Yousry Foda said that Hassan Hamdy, the club president, and Mahmoud al-Khatib, the club’s former football star, had announced their support for Ahmed Shafiq.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Players supporting Morsy provokes anger of Ahly board

by admin
May 14th, 2012

The board of Ahly, a highly popular football club in Egypt, is meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue of a number of its players supporting Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsy in the presidential election.

Sources within the club told Al-Masry Al-Youm Monday that the board is unhappy with attempts to involve the club in the election in violation of its earlier instructions.

Among those supporting Morsy are star player Mohamed Abu Treika, football director Hadi Khashaba and junior football team head Mohamed Amer.

“Nobody from the board told me not to support Morsy,” Amer said. “They respect our freedom.”

Abu Treika and Khashaba reportedly breached the board instructions on Thursday when they made a phone-in to a rally for Morsy in Alexandria.

Morsy campaign posters carry photos of public figures supporting his bid, including Abu Treika and Khashaba.

More players announced their support for other candidates, such as Amr Moussa, Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, Hamdeen Sabbahi, Ahmed Shafiq and Hesham al-Bastawisi.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Ultras Ahlawy gather at Police Academy ahead of Port Said trial

by admin
May 9th, 2012

Dozens of Al-Ahly football club fans known as ultras gathered in front of the Police Academy Wednesday for the trial of 75 suspects accused of attacking and killing dozens following a February match in Port Said.

The criminal court scheduled the third trial session for hearing the testimonies of witnesses from numbers 56 to 68 and reviewing footage included in the investigation evidence.

The session was supposed to be held Saturday but was postponed until Wednesday because the suspects were absent and due to insufficient security because of clashes at protests in Abbasseya.

Military and security forces were deployed around the academy Wednesday.

On 1 February, supporters of Port Said’s home club, Masry, and Cairo’s leading team, Ahly, began clashing after Masry fans stormed the pitch following the team’s victory. In the ensuing violence, 74 were killed and hundreds injured in one of the deadliest football-related incidents in history.

Critics have accused security forces of, at best, doing little to prevent the fighting and, at worst, of a conspiracy to incite unrest. A month later, Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud referred the suspects to criminal court, including nine Port Said police officers and three Masry club executives. Two minors were also referred to juvenile court.

During the most recent session, the court also ruled that the interior minister, head of the National Sports Council, head of Masry club and head of the National Football Association would be included as defendants in the civil lawsuits filed by relatives of those killed and injured in the violence.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
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Ultras Ahlawy end sit-in temporarily

by admin
April 9th, 2012

Hundreds of hardcore Ahly football team fans decided Sunday to suspend their sit-in at the People’s Assembly temporarily until the outcome of the Port Said football violence trial comes out, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.

Ultras Ahlawy started the sit-in to protest what fans say are weak punishments for Port Said’s Masry football club, and to demand harsher punishments for the perpetrators of the violence that occurred 1 February and left 74 people, mostly Ahly fans, dead.

Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud last month charged 75 people in connection with the bloodiest football violence in the nation’s history. The accused include nine senior police officers.

Mahmoud’s decision came after Ultras Ahlawy staged their sit-in to demand swift justice and protest what they said was a delay in filing the charges.

The decision, which was posted on the group’s Facebook page, came after an Ahly fan meeting during which they agreed on two main demands: that the victims of the violence be considered officially as revolution martyrs and that a review of the case be expedited.

The Port Said fact-finding committee has agreed to consider the victims martyrs, a decision declared by Ashraf Thabet, Parliament’s deputy speaker. Following a meeting between the group’s representatives and Justice Minister Adel Abdel Hamid, the minister also formed a special unit to follow up on the case to guarantee a swift decision and punishment for the perpetrators.

The Ultras Ahlawy group leaders called for its members to not attend the football game between Ahly and the Ethiopian Coffee club that took place Sunday in Military Stadium to avoid clashes with police or military officers. The Ultras watched the game on a large screen at the Parliament sit-in.

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Ahly fans to boycott African League match, resume protests

by admin
April 2nd, 2012

Supporters of Egypt's leading football club Ahly have declared they would not attend their team's African Champions League game against Ethiopian Coffee Football Club next Sunday.

Members of Ultras Ahlawy, the most devoted supporters of the club, said they would resume their sit-in outside the Parliament building in Cairo, which started in late March, to press for retribution for fellows killed in the Port Said Stadium violence on 1 February.

Leading ultras members said a joint decision has been made with supporters of Ahly's rival club, Zamalek, to reject any sporting events in Egypt before achieving justice for those killed.

"The game is meaningless to us, we won't be there; the sit-in continues until our demands are met," said Mohamed Tarek, one Ultras Ahlawy member.

Seventy-four fans were killed in a football match against Port Said's team, Masry. Masry supporters stormed the pitch and attacked the visiting team's fans, reportedly for hoisting an insulting banner.

The massacre had stoked fury over the alleged security failures of Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri’s cabinet and the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

The Egyptian Football Association punished Masry by suspending its football activities for two years and closing the Port Said Stadium for three years. Ahly fans said the penalties were insufficient.

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
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