Not so long ago the leadership of the EDL were arrested at gunpoint, there homes raided and computers taken by the police as a prelude to their Edinburgh protest. Gunpoint arrests, raids and confiscations suggest that the police were arresting for more than routine matters of public order control.

However, as we all know the EDL top boys were suddenly released without charge and at the next demo - Bolton - the police showed more than a passing disparity of treatment regarding the fascists/anti-fascists with Weymann Bennett and others arrested with maximum prejudice by the police, physically violent attacks on the Anti-fascists by police and the EDL's crimes ignored despite the racist chants and instigations of violence coming from their end of the demo.

As a result rumours of "co-operating with the police" abounded in abundance and although their has been little proof up until now anyone who knows police routine instinctively smelt a rat.

Some of the rumours revolved around the upcoming World Cup especially with many of the EDL being hardcore England soccer thugs/casuals.

 http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/31052010/58/world-cup-2010-english-hooligans-intercepted.html

So, now we have 3,200 hooligans forced to hand in passports, so far so normal (although it is possible to argue that the police may have needed a hand with getting the names of all 3,200) but this section of the report linked to above is certainly suspicious:

"A month ago some of them were trying to go via Dubai to come to South Africa and both the South African and UK forces were able to nip them," Mthethwa said.

He said around a dozen hooligans were intercepted but would not give details of where they were stopped. South African officials have said they are working closely with British police to prevent hooligans reaching Africa's first World Cup. "

So how did the police know about this?
Did the EDL leadership grass them up? Did they break down in a Sheffield station when confronted with enough evidence to have them put away? Did they save their skins by grassing other England hooligans?

As the World Cup approaches I reckon more will come to light over exactly what DID happen in Sheffield.

And for once we actually have a reason to look forward to the World Cup.