When in Roma .
Sir: Your leader Political hooligans (11 June) quoted the 'respected' Italian newspaper, La Repubblica's condemnation of 20,000 or so Liverpool fans at the recent European Cup match in Rome.
I spent two days with some of the fans described here as 'noisy, aggressive, arrogant and drunk' and never saw an act of violence, a girl molested or a foul word uttered to a local from the Via Veneto to the Olympic Stadium. Some of the victorious supporters were certainly drunk, but the Italian police, judging from reports, had few complaints, while the British Embassy in Rome were delighted with the behaviour of the Liverpool invasion.
The majority of Romans, too, were impressed by the Liverpool fans — they were no more 'noisy' than vino-swigging Italians at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany.
The Rome newspaper II Messagero summed up the behaviour of the visiting Liverpool red army: 'They didn't devastate, pillage, rape, beat up old people, profane sanctuaries and churches or pillage wine and salami from shop shelves . .
The behaviour of the Scottish fans at Wembley was another matter.
John Moynihan, 4 Kildare Terrace, London W2
Previous page
