Russian hooligans warn of 'festival of violence' at 2018 World Cup

Maybe the 'Orel butchers' will be so brave again and target ordinary fans out having a drink in the sun, or fans with families inside the stadium like they did in Marseille.

When it came down to hooligan gangs versus hooligan gangs in Lille they didn' t quite get their own way did they.

And everyone knows that the top 200 English hooligans had their passports confiscated and could not travel. The Russians meanwhile were sponsored by their own sports federation.

I'd also vet the referees and linesmen very carefully and do thorough independent drug testing on the Russian team.

This BBC documentary will certainly make fans think twice about FIFA president Gianni Infantino claim that Russia “welcoming country, which wants to celebrate football”.

Any group naming themselves the Orel Butchers are hardly a promotion for Russian hospitality.

It is beyond ordinary hooliganism and now part of Putin's state-sponsored aggression against the west, particularly Britain. It is no longer football fans but paramiltaries sent to football tournaments. Imagine Millwall being sponsored by the British government to travel abroad and cause mayhem. The Orel butcher hooligans were in France but many paramilitaries joined them and wore the Orel t-shirts.

The Russian gangs are deluding themselves anyway. Real English hooliganism died out after Heysel, and quite rightly so, and after the crackdown at English grounds in the nineties.

Putin and his govt are partially responsible for the situation. I actually think they see hooliganism as a way to express/prove Russian men are superior, tougher etc. Putin himself joked about it during euro 2016 while govt officials admitted they were proud of their boys cause they defended Russia's honour and beat up other euros who were just 'too gay' to fight back. Just another world really.

As for Infantino, he's a massive disappointment. Completely clueless, again.

Have to admire their honesty, at least.

How about , instead of trying to eliminate hooliganism (an impossibility), we promote and organize it? Have the supporters of each team meet during halftime and do their thing on the field. Great entertainment for the fans, easy on the local police, and eventually Darwin will be the ultimate winner!

Plus, it's time we got some decently filmed soccer fights. I'm getting bored with the jerky cameras and poor quality footage that is on Youtube.