EXCLUSIVE
TWO English brothers beaten up by Scots in the West End of Glasgow blame the xenophobic hysteria whipped up by the tabloid press during the Euro96 football tournament for the attack.
One of the brothers, Mr Mark Smith, who received hospital treatment for severe concussion, a broken nose, and cracked ribs, has instructed his lawyer, Mr Cameron Fyfe, to report the matter to the Commission for Racial Equality and the Press Complaints Commission.
Mr Smith has cited some of the Scottish tabloid newspaper coverage before the Scotland and England game at Wembley and some of the London-based newspaper coverage in the run-up to the England and Germany semi-final match as ``using metaphors aimed at war and hostility''.
Mr Mark Smith and his brother, Gavin, 25, were attacked as they left Chimmy Chunga's pub in Great Western Road after the Germany and England semi-final match. They were followed by a gang of youths who shouted: ``You're English aren't you. We're going to get you.''
They said it is only now, two weeks after the attack, that they felt confident enough to talk about their ordeal.
Gavin, who escaped serious injury, said they were convinced that the reason for the attack was the anger and hostility stirred up by parts of the tabloid press.
Mr Smith said he hoped by highlighting the case more English people attacked in Scotland or Scots people beaten up in England during Euro96 would come forward.
He said his brother was too upset to speak personally of the assault or be photographed because the attackers were still at large.
Gavin, who has lived in Scotland for three years, said their trouble began as they watched their country's match with Germany which England lost on penalty kicks.
In the pub, one of the Scots youths stubbed out a cigarette on the back of his brother's neck.
Gavin said: ``Ironically we had been watching the game with two German boys. The whole affair was very good natured and now and then of course we cheered for England.
``We started to be picked on in the pub and, as we were walking down Great Western Road, four or five Scottish boys jumped us.
``They then set about us and although I was not badly hurt my brother received hospital treatment.
``The whole thing sickened us totally. I was lucky not to receive serious injuries but my brother who had only been living in Glasgow for a few months was very upset and angry.''
Mr Smith added that he would be compiling copies of all the relevant newspaper articles which he claimed enticed the fans to attack him and his brother.
``All the metaphors in certain tabloids were aimed at war and hostility, indeed one likened the England versus Germany game with the Second World War,'' said Mr Smith.
``Another described the England and Scotland game as a battle and used the headline `Give the English a gubbing'.
``As well as our situation, I know of one Scotsman living in England who got badly beaten up after the England versus Scotland game. We have decided to go public on the matter to try and encourage other people who suffered attacks just because of their nationality during the football championships to make their views on the tabloid coverage known.''
His lawyer, Mr Cameron Fyfe, of Ross Harper and Murphy, said it was clear that the tabloid coverage of Euro96 had managed to instil racial tension.
Mr Fyfe said last night: ``It would be obviously difficult to win a general action against all of the tabloid press on the matter as a specific newspaper article would have to be shown to have provoked the attack.
``However, there has been a claim for criminal injuries compensation lodged on behalf of Mr Mark Smith which I believe will be successful.
``In that sense, the taxpayer will be paying for his injury which he believes was caused by the antagonism caused by the tabloids which he blames for the attack.''
The Commission for Racial Equality said it had not been given figures for racial attacks during Euro96 as anything that caused racial hatred was a police matter and should be dealt with by them.
A spokeswoman for the Press Complaints Commission in London said they had received 300 complaints over the tabloid coverage of Euro96, particularly over the Germany versus England game. Of that figure she said they had only two or three complaints from English people living in Scotland.
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