|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
LAND OF DOPE AND GLORY NICK PARKER and MIKE DARVILL The Sun Wednesday 14 Jun 2000 chill out in Dutch sunshine From NICK PARKER and MIKE DARVILL in Eindhoven THUGS caused no mayhem after England's Euro 2000 disaster - because they were too STONED to bother. Hooligans who would usually be in a boozy rage dopily shrugged and smiled at Monday's 3-2 defeat by Portugal. The calming effects of their "blow" - legally available in Holland - meant they just meandered harmlessly from Eindhoven's Philips Stadium. They did not react when bus-loads of victorious Portuguese fans passed by cheering. And they were not even provoked when they finally reached the station and bus terminal to find thousands of jeering Turks revelling in England's misery. One supporter simply raised a joint to his lips, smiled and whispered: "England blew it. Now we'll blow it too." Relaxing ... England fans in Eindhoven town square after defeat In the early hours some fans started throwing bread rolls at locals - but the flashpoint passed when youths on scooters weaved through the group, selling dope. A fan who would only give his name as Roger said: "It could have easily got ugly but within minutes most of those involved were having a puff and chilling out." Earlier, a dozen skinheads gathered in a town centre bar and smoked away contentedly as England crashed 3-2. A witness said: "I've never seen skinheads this dignified in defeat. "They looked like real hard-cases. You would have expected them to go beserk when Portugal's third goal went in, but they just shrugged and carried on puffing." One dazed and hungry England fan stumbled into a McDonald's and tried to pay for his two Big Macs with plastic packets of marijuana. He said: "Everyone's having a go at this stuff because the laws here are so much more relaxed than back home." It is illegal to smoke cannabis in Holland outside licensed premises, but cops turned a blind eye as dozens of fans openly rolled joints in the street. Others were bought ready-rolled from coffee shops for the price of a pint. Varieties on offer included Super Skunk, Northern Lights and White Witch. Yesterday local police admitted pot smoking was a "significant factor" in avoiding violence. Tight security and bars serving only lower alcohol beer also helped ensure there were just 10 arrests for minor offences. A spokesman added: "The biggest factor was the fans' friendliness." One much-travelled England fan said: "I've never seen fans so relaxed. A dozen or so I recognised as hooligans were outside a bar. They were passing spliffs among themselves and seemed to be in a completely different mood. "But they made a point of telling me it will be another story on Saturday against the Germans. They said they always intended to chill out in Holland and save themselves for the big one." That match is at Charleroi, in Belgium - where drug laws are much tougher. Some 40,000 England fans are expected, ten times the number allocated tickets.
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!