Liverpool played Celtic in Hartford a few years back. I was there. No troubles whatsoever

Allan Cole, Toronto, CANADA

English fans are passionate about football. Eat, drink, sleep football, thats it...
When west ham are in town, they have there reputation on the line, this reputation counts even when in america.
I'm sure however it was all blown out of proportion because american fans arent used to this.

Scott Aranyi, Barnsley, England

Geez, if ignorance was bliss, then the people who have posted here would be the happiest people on the planet.

A few have ruined it for the many, but let's not tar all fans with the same brush. The thugs do not represent the majority despite what the other posters here say.

Up the 'ammers!!!

Neil Griffiths, London, UK

we were at the game and it was digraceful to see WHU american fans act like hooligans there was no need it was a friendly and should have been treated as such .....we were there to support our team not act idiots...GO HAMMERS...

eric hudson, LONDON, Canada

Seen as it is a 'fact' Martin, please could you list all the games last season where English teams played abroad and describe how and where there was trouble. If I was a guest in a foreign country I would not be so rude about the natives. I'm sure Ireland has no violent crime at all on a night out

Chris, Manchester, UK

No matter where the English tourists or "fans" travel, there is always trouble. Germany 2006, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Poland. The list is long. Wherever the English (incl. Glasgow Rangers Brits) go there is trouble. Fact! Only look at the nightlive on a weekend in the UK. Same thing. Proud to be Irish

Martin, Guildford, UK

I love soccer. It's a way of rounding up all the pond-life and half-wits into one small geographical location for a few hours, and getting them away from the rest of us.

Alastair, Alicante, Spain

I was at the game with my son, all we saw was some handbags between some of the rowdy Crew fans and believe it or not a bunch of Americans wearing claret and blue shirts. To use the word erupts in the heading is a disgrace, completely blown out of all proportion. The WH fans were impeccable.

Steve, Miami, USA

Columbus Crew should arrange a British tour, that way their hooligans could have of fun with Millwall, Portsmouth, Leeds United, Cardiff City, Glasgow Rangers ...

Paul, Coventry,

Hey maybe soccer has arrived. Now they can be like the big boys at the NFL games. Here in the Bay we have the Raiders and Niners and there are hella cops at the games because our fans are like yours....basically grown ups that want to act like children.....Go Niners, but the Gooners are better!!

Marty Price, Oakland, California

The only reason why Chelsea fans never get into trouble is because there are no Chelsea fans outside of a boardroom!

Besides, the fact that many people are willing to bias a club just because of the actions of 30/100 people is a poor indictment of the integrity of some.

Tony, London,

I was at the game as well. Both parties are to blame for the shenanigans. However, I will say the WH supportors approached the crew supporters corner. According to a fan on the bigsoccer forums; a shirtless, inked WH fan doused a crew fan in beer which started the brawl.

GO BLACK AND RED!

Kyle, Cincinnati, Ohio

West Ham have an unarguable reputation for Footbal violence. Whether these fans are "real fans" or not more has to be done if you want to lose the dirty image you unfortunatley have. Releasing books about fooball violence with West Hams logo printed on the front cover certainly doesnt help.

Oliver Webb, Bath,

What a joke. Nobody in Columbus Ohio cares that much about a soccer team. I am sure these "hooligans" on both sides were complete soccer nerds (college and high school kids)that were trying to play the part of die hard lifelong Columbus Crew and West Ham supporters. I doubt anyone was hurt.

Max, jasper, ga, usa

I agree with Pat about noone caring that much, especially about the Columbus Crew.

Max, jasper, ga, usa

Easy now lads... you need to understand that over here (across the pond), Columbus Crew supports model themselves after Millwall... they're trying to be something they've watched in Football Factories or Green St. Hoolies!

Don't jump to conclusions as much as history leads you to!

Chris, Toronto, Canada

It's preposterous that any American would care enough about a soccer team to get into a fight over it. I don't think you have the full story here....

Pat, Voorhees, NJ, USA

Unlike the moral majority and other rent-a-shocked contributors, I was at the game. It was a storm in a teacup. Move on rubberneckers, nothing to see here.

Jamie, Oberlin, US

Don't rush to judgment. West Ham received undue media opprobrium in Palermo, where they were the victims. Where WHU is concerned, a reputation precedes them due to films like Green Street, Rise of the Footsolder, Cass, The Firm. The rowdier fans of any offshore team is going to want to fight them.

John , London,

If Brits think football fans brawling in America is a concern to us, please sit back and watch a city burn when a team from some disheveled city wins a championship. Fans flip over and burn cars, loot and create a war zone in the downtown areas. Brawls are nothing. Guns and brawls, that's something.

Charles, Seattle, USA

I was there and the Columbus Crew fans were parading through the stadium physically and verbally taunting West Ham fans. Their language was outrageous. It was obvious they were attempting to pick a fight. I am an American and am ashamed at the behavior of my countrymen.

Catherine , Oberlin, Ohio, USA

I don't know which is more pathetic - that someone flew 5000 miles to see West Ham, or that that travelled all that way to visit Columbus!

Bob Nelson, London, UK

footie and violence are as English as fish and chips -

haralambos, joburg,

Sue, London , UK
A meaningless comment -given this article is about football violence. Who pays for the team to go has no bearing on how the team's supporters behave. Chelsea have been to the US for pre season friendlies for the last couple of years, non of its supporters resorted to violence.

Adi, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire

Did any of you stop to think that some, many or most of the "West Ham" fans were locals who have adopted West Ham after watching Green Street Hooligans and wanted to "enact"? I read elsewhere that no English people were arrested but Americans were. But don't let that stop you from pontificating.

Simon G, East London,

I assume that the West Ham fans were dedicated members of the official supporters club, Amercians with a passing interest or family link and holidaymakers, rather than a wealthy faction of the ICF, on a transatlantic tour of ultra-violence.
What is really depressing is the knee jerk reaction here.

Graham Bunting, London, London

Whilst I am annoyed and embarrassed that my club has been shown up by some of these thugs, some of the comments posted are quite laughable.

The media loves to continually report any incidents involving a select couple of clubs while ignoring what goes on at most other clubs in the Prem & CCC.

Rob, London,

Philadelphia has in-house courts at Eagles games for such rowdy fans. A great idea long overdue.

T. J. Cassidy, Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A.

John Cook, Seaford, UK

The only time Chelsea tour is when Abramovich pays for it.

Sue, London , UK

Sarah, Chelsea tourned in the US pre season last year with zero problems as usual.

John Cook, Seaford, UK

100 Columbus Fans attack 30 West Ham. Despite 'the crew' having recent 'previous' for this sort of behaviour West Ham seem to be taking a lot of flak in some parts of the media. When Man Utd & Bolton were invloved in crowd trouble abroad recently it was largely blamed on the local fans & police.

Jason Rose, Orpington, UK

Reports from Columbus: "Inspired by the film Green Street Hooligans, which is based on West Ham United's notorious Inter City Firm, a group of Columbus Crew fans have called themselves the Hudson Street Hooligans." Get the facts straight - none of you were there. We were there to support our lads

R. Shagwell, East London, UK

Ugh, that's all we need, another reminder that the football season is about to start. With all this aggression, these morons should take up boxing or join the UFC .. but then they couldn't hide behind each other's shirt tails could they?!

Steve, Warwick,

"We wanted to show people what we're about"

Mission accomplished apparently, West Ham.

Cameron, London,

Well America welcome to our nightmare. Thank your lucky stars Chelsea and QPR are not playing there otherwise it would be mayhem.

D-Day tomorrow!!!! Who's going to get the right not to be relegated for 3 THREE years??!!!

sarah, warrington,

"...We wanted to show people what we're about."

Mission accomplished.....

Kermit Alexander, Columbus , OH, USA

Once again WHU show how united they actually are. Let's hope they end up where they belong, with the other aggressive minnow's, Millwall! But seriously when is the FA going to acknowledge that football violence is not yet deceased & that their rhetoric of it being just a minority stinks!

Michael James, London, UK

Yes Curbishley, West Ham certainly showed the Americans what they were about, as the photo above shows.

J.Wilkes, Gloucester,