CRAIG HOPE: How it feels to run into European hooded gangs in their dress rehearsal for violence

You run into the black-hooded gangs while covering European matches as a reporter.

The night before Newcastle played AC Milan in September, we left the press conference at the San Siro and, close to the stadium, around 50 of them were gathered, head to toe in black, for what appeared to be a dress rehearsal.

That night, a Newcastle fan was stabbed in an apparent ‘honour attack’, using the knife to slash the black and white jersey from his back. 

In Dortmund earlier this year, I witnessed around 100 of the club’s ultras (same attire) leave a train after returning from an away game and march through the city’s streets in a show of intimidation — towards their own people! Traffic stopped and allowed them to have their moment. 

The same in Amsterdam before the 2019 Champions League semi-final against Tottenham when, two hours before kick-off, a group of us reporters found ourselves caught in the middle of the intimidation march by Ajax supporters — and it was scary!

Away from home, they gather en masse and stomp to the stadium at a pre-arranged time, much like a battalion of foot soldiers. 

In Newcastle, we saw Paris Saint-Germain and Dortmund ultras throw bottles and punches.

The team on the pitch and the hooligan squad off the pitch are, sadly, part of European football now — especially when you are covering or following English clubs, who appear to be their No 1 target.