Rick Bell vividly recalls the 1998 World Cup riots in Marseille, a brutal clash between English and Tunisian fans that left the city in chaos. The fear, panic, adrenaline, tear gas, blood, knives, bricks, and bottles are etched in his memory.
The scene in Marseille
Bell was sent by his editor Chris Nelson to Marseille after reports of trouble. On the train, he met Darren, a carpenter from Lancashire, who explained: “Police get a bit strong, the locals come to have a go, some lads get beaten up. There’s always a reason.”
England was scheduled to play Tunisia. Before the match, English fans squared off against Tunisians and local North African youth in a city with a large North African population.
The match and aftermath
Bell scored a ticket from a scalper and enjoyed the game’s brilliant atmosphere—singing, flag waving, and strangers asking if he was from Manchester, Sunderland, or Barnsley. England won 1-0, with Alan Shearer scoring the goal.
But the battle was far from over. Before the final whistle, bottles flew from Tunisian stands, a preview of what followed.
Violence erupts at the train station
At the train station, all hell broke loose. A bomb exploded, emergency vehicles wailed, and smoke filled the air. The stairway was packed with English fans at the top, Tunisians and locals at the bottom. A riot cop tossed a canister of CS gas; people yelled they’d seen it before. It stung and left a taste.
Bottles flew from both sides. “When they’re throwing bottles, we’ve got to defend ourselves,” said William of Southampton, promptly throwing a bottle. The English tried to charge down the stairs; French riot police swung batons with maximum force to push them back.
City in chaos
Violence spread across many streets, turning them into carpets of glass from smashed bottles and windows. A bottle hit a car; the driver and passenger fled, and the car was set on fire.
Bell concludes that every World Cup, especially when England plays, he can’t help but think of Marseille in 1998.
