A mildly compelling but disturbing watch, proving English hooliganism hasn't really moved on that much since the 70's & 80's.
The actual football story aside (which was the only decent thing in this doc - well done lads!) this documentary missed a real opportunity to educate the public on football crowd dynamics, and what another shameful episode the psychy at English football grounds is sometimes still really like., especially when groups of young people are a several beers deep so long before the game.
The doc completely failed to go into the additional experience of a number of player's families and dignitaries that fell foul of the mob developing outside, nor some corrupt event hosts/guards that took cash bribes from ticket-less fans to ease their passage through, and also the fans with genuine tickets (including in disabled areas) who were threatened with violence for simply attempting to access their assigned seat once reaching their zone, with zero help from stadium stewards frozen to do anything about it.
The planned Covid spacing protocols went down the toilet, thugs just sat/stood wherever they pleased, taking other fans seats, overcrowding behind the goals especially, and over the access ways that were meant to be kept clear in the event of rapid evacuation etc. The list goes on.
Security was a complete shambles - remember, it was just less than 6 yrs earlier, in 2015, that a coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris took place, one of which was at the national 'Stade de France' Stadium as 3 suicide bombers attempted to gain access to a France vs Germany football game to no avail, ultimately detonating themselves outside instead. Imagine the carnage had something of this scale developed at Wembley?
I did not see any news of reprimands in the press following this shameful Wembley fiasco over their security and organisational shambles that could've turned out very differently. It was purely by fluke that no one died that day.
- It's no surprise to me that the English FA and Wembley Stadium authorities were total unprepared for the scale of chaos that ensured in England's long wait for final appearance in a major tournament.
- It's also no surprise to me that the 2 young men (and I use the term 'men' loosely) who effectively stole other people's money to gain access to the stadium, feel no shame in their behavior, such is the vast blatant disrespect for authority and that appears to exist in this age group. There simply aren't sufficient consequences for this kind of immature, childish behavior.
- And should it really be any surprise that the English FA and Wembley Stadium authorities have no shame in monetizing their failures if they can make a few bucks out of Netflix? Not really.
Disappointing lacking in accountability throughout.
