Besiktas chief blames security for riot

Beşiktaş president Fikret Orman has pinpointed the stadium security present for the abandonment of Sunday’s game with Galatasaray, and announced that the club has since cancelled its contract with the company hired for the game.

“We hired the stadium for 10 matches,” Orman said.

“Private security does not run away from the fans, it chases them, what we saw from them was comedy.

”

Albeit one that no one found remotely amusing.

“The job of the authorities in charge is to make sure people without tickets don’t get in,” Orman added.

“It is quite clear that the Olympic Stadium is not ready to host these kind of events.”

So, it was the fault of the security personnel, the authorities and the stadium. Nothing at all to do with the people who actually invaded the pitch? Really?

Mehmet Baykan from the Ministry of Sports and Youth department confirmed that there were spectators who had entered the game without tickets.

“There was a group who entered without tickets,” Baykan said.

“Three entry points were broken into, the power supply to the turnstiles and eight ticket readers were sabotaged. 65 people have been caught with equipment which could have been used to cut the cables.”

The stadium was officially at full capacity – 76,092 – however, some esitmates suggest a further 3000-10000 people had gained entrance without tickets.

The match report submitted to the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) highlighted several security failings.

The report stated that the power supply to eight turnstiles on the East and West stands were cut. The fence on the West stand was broken into and over 1000 people entered the stadium illegally.

There were minor scuffles in the second half and an attempted pitch invasion was attempted by a group of 7-10 people on 78 minutes however, the individuals involved were not detained or put under surveillance.

Beşiktaş now face a lengthy stadium ban – Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor were given five-match bans due to pitch invasions, while Galatasaray were handed a five-match suspension for throwing objects onto the pitch.

Given the volatility of the derby fixture and the complete breakdown in security during the match, it is something of a miracle that the trouble unpleasant though it was, did not result in more clashes and casualties.