Japan's Urawa Reds are trying to repair Saitama Stadium's image
as an intimidating and potentially dangerous place for rivals fans
to visit.
The club was fined a Japanese record $185,000 last year
following violent clashes between fans after a J-League match
against Gamba Osaka.
Faced with dwindling numbers of away fans, Japan's
best-supported club has launched a charm offensive to make their
home ground a more welcoming place.
"Saitama Stadium has a bit of an image for being a frightening
place," Reds president Mitsuo Hashimoto told Monday's Sports Nippon
daily. "We want to make it more friendly."
Urawa have put up welcome banners for away fans at the nearest
railway station while new measures will include showing highlights
of their opponents' games on the stadium's screen.
In May last year, Urawa's 2002 World Cup stadium witnessed
arguably the worst incident of crowd violence since the J-League
was launched in 1993.
Riot police were mobilised as fans tore down safety fences and
ripped up seats while some 5,000 angry Reds fans blocked off the
exit for visiting Gamba fans after the away side's 3-2 win.
Missiles were hurled and Reds fans smashed through security
fencing to get at the Gamba supporters. Security officials rushed
to intervene but not before one home fan toppled over the edge of
the stands, breaking a foot.
Around 1,000 Gamba fans spent three hours penned into the ground
before being evacuated by police cars and vans once the Urawa fans
had been dispersed.
soccernet.
Their fans are really quite crazy. Non-stop chanting and
waving of flags. ._.