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back to article Footie fracas: MYSTERY DRONE waves flag, incites Balkan brawl

A banner-dangling partisan drone caused a mass brawl between rivals players, fans and officials during a Euro 2016 qualifying match between Serbian and Albania on Tuesday night. Suspended beneath the unmanned aerial vehicle was a banner bearing the Albanian flag and a map that included Kosovo, along with the slogan “greater …

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  1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

    So what's next?

    So, what's next? Jamming equipment and guided AA missiles at stadiums?

    Flags and slogans may be different, but there are plenty of hatchets buried at very shallow depth worldwide. This has shown how easy it is to trigger them. Copycats shall follow, it is not a matter of "if", it is a matter of when.

    6 1 Reply
    1. dotdavid
      Reply Icon

      Re: So what's next?

      Maybe we could have some kind of aerial robot wars before every match?

      4 0 Reply
      1. andy gibson
        Reply Icon

        Re: So what's next?

        dotdavid, your comment reminded me of this:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH_ihfDnohI

        0 0 Reply
    2. ian 22
      Reply Icon

      Re: So what's next?

      In Mexico, no game between the national university (UNAM) and traditional rival Politecnico was complete without the traditional firing of small ballistic missiles at one another's stands.

      Given the world's current state, today the missiles would likely be Qassams or RPG-7s.

      1 0 Reply
    3. Trigonoceps occipitalis
      Reply Icon

      Re: So what's next?

      Some really, really shiny programmes.

      2 0 Reply
      1. Steve Goodey
        Reply Icon

        Re: So what's next?

        Trigonoceps occipitalis. Thanks for the ACC ref. jogged a memory.

        0 0 Reply
        1. Trigonoceps occipitalis
          Reply Icon

          Re: So what's next?

          Steve,

          You're welcome. I had forgotten the book, read far too many years ago. Thanks for telling me it was ACC, I'll be able to find it again..

          0 0 Reply
  2. JamesPond
    Black Helicopters

    What you need is one of these

    http://mashable.com/2014/02/08/renault-kwid-drone/

    for a quick getaway once PC plod work out where you are operating the drone from.

    0 0 Reply
    1. Desk Jockey
      Reply Icon
      Black Helicopters

      @ James Pond

      Or get one of those old style jetpacks. Disguise it as a large rucksack containing beer. Get it ready before deploying your drone and as the plod come for you, shoot up to the top of the stadium. Extra bonus points if you keep the drone under control and in the air showing off its banner etc thoughout! Supreme kudos award (and probably get invited to a chat show) if you also manage to ride rodeo on a stadium camera unit that is meant to record the match!

      In somewhere like Belgrade, the plod would probably 'solve' the problem by shooting you and your drone out of the sky. For more civilised locations I expect netting to suddenly become quite popular. Whether someone will propose something that can be aimed to shoot netting at an offending drone is also a distinct possibility.

      2 1 Reply
  3. ZankerH

    srbia strong remove kebab

    5 1 Reply
    1. ItsNotMe
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      Hey...don't "remove kebab"...

      ...someone may be hungry.

      Mine's the one with the Lamb Kebabs in the pocket. Yum...yum.

      1 1 Reply
    2. WraithCadmus
      Reply Icon
      Go

      Remove people without flair!

      0 0 Reply
  4. dotdavid

    during a Euro 2016 qualifying match between Serbian and Albania

    Who was the unlucky Serbian?

    3 0 Reply
  5. AndrueC Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    was given the chance to head a plastic chair

    Brilliant :)

    5 0 Reply
  6. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Black Helicopters

    False flag attack!

    <neocon>I detect the malevolent hand of Putin in this dronish attack. We better up the sanctions lest Russian tank brigades pour into Yurop like locusts</neocon>

    1 7 Reply
  7. stringyfloppy

    This is one of the best stories ever - so funny. And I think it officially ushers in an era of drone shenanigans which should be interesting.

    One thing I wonder about - the article states: "Anticipating trouble, UEFA had banned Albania fans from travelling to the Partizan stadium to watch the game." How do they enforce a ban like this? How do they detect if someone is an Albania fan or not? And does this mean Albania fans couldn't enter the stadium, or weren't allowed to travel to the stadium? How would they be prevented from traveling there?

    2 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Having observed fans of football in the past, I propose that they probably used the following criteria:

      Are they dressed from head to toe in their teams colours?

      Are they wearing their country's flag as a cape?

      Are they "singing" songs in Albanian/about albania, or somewhat derogative songs regarding the Srpska republic and their mothers?

      Or maybe they allocated tickets to the home team only?

      From the article it seems that some people managed to get into the stadium despite the ban... as well as the VIP suite.. unless mr Olsi Rama was there to cheer on the Serbs...

      3 0 Reply
  8. Bryan Maguire

    Mistake in the article

    the article states: "Anticipating trouble, UEFA had banned Albania fans from travelling to the Partizan stadium to watch the game."

    This is not correct. The Albanian FA were offered 2000 tickets on the basis that they be sold to Albanian passport holders only. The Albanian FA refused the tickets because of this restriction.

    1 0 Reply
  9. Fink-Nottle
    Coat

    The footage shows one of the teams has a duck mascot. What are the odds it's called Waddle?

    1 0 Reply
  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    beneath the noses of approximately 32,000 stunned and soon-to-be incandescent Serbians.

    and then they reached for their backpacks, pulled out their kalashnikovs...

    1 1 Reply
  11. LucreLout
    Megaphone

    Had this game been between England and... well, anyone else, FIFA would have issued an almost immediate 4 year ban from international competition. Surely, at the very least, both teams should now be chucked from the tournament. The lack of consistency reveals the corrupt and partisan nature of FIFA, and it is a disgrace.

    2 0 Reply
  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    drones huh?

    every radio controlled flying toy is a "drone" now? I guess all those RC "robot wars" shows actually did melt the brains of the youth watching them.

    If it isn't autonomous, it ain't a drone.

    Since the actual only common denominator in all these violent situations is the fact futbol is being played, perhaps it's time for "reasonable regulation" of fans, permits to attend games, and restrictions on high capacity stadiums?

    1 0 Reply
    1. James O'Shea
      Reply Icon

      Re: drones huh?

      "Since the actual only common denominator in all these violent situations is the fact futbol is being played, perhaps it's time for "reasonable regulation" of fans, permits to attend games, and restrictions on high capacity stadiums?"

      You ain't seen a cricket match between India and Pakistan, now have you? Or Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Or Pakistan and Bangladesh. see further http://www.mizozo.com/world/03/2009/02/sri-lankan-cricket-team-bus-attacked-in-pakistan.html and http://fwdshortleg.wordpress.com/2014/10/02/terrorism-cricket-and-pakistan/

      No further comment at this time.

      0 0 Reply
    2. Flip
      Reply Icon

      Re: drones huh?

      "every radio controlled flying toy is a "drone" now? I guess all those RC "robot wars" shows actually did melt the brains of the youth watching them.

      If it isn't autonomous, it ain't a drone."

      Thank you.

      0 0 Reply

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