Who's Cocktail?

I am not quite giving you my full attention at the moment as I am posting with one eye on the Arsenal Celtic match. Celtic have just scored a consolation goal.

So then, what on earth went on last night in and around Upton Park?

It seems there was an explosive cocktail of factors which resulted in a recurrence of the violence that used to beset football on a much more regular basis.

Does this mean the beginning of a serious return? Is our beautiful game going to be stolen away from us to act as a vehicle to showcase some of the darker sides of our society?

Or do we have enough information to reduce the likelihood of further occurrences?

Lets see. What were the key factors last night?

Well firstly, there is the bitter rivalry between the two sides.

Then there is the fact that the match was not a league match and therefore an increased number of seats were available for non-regular fans (the regulars choosing not to attend what they see as a less important match).

Couple these with a reported upsurge in football violence 'pornography' and a society with an increased number of people with little to lose as the anesthetic of material wealth on credit card debt starts to wear off.

And some bad decisions about match arrangements .

Like putting away fans in the lower tiers instead of the upper ones.

And not having sufficient police presence.

Most of these things football can't fix on its own.

So anyone out there thinking of pointing a finger at the game and telling it to sort itself out needs to think again.

This is not just a problem for football. It is a problem for our society.