Apologies if this column seems indulgent. It looks not out, but in - specifically, at how a football website should report on hooliganism and violence.

Soccernet has received many e-mails over the last few days complaining about our coverage of the violence between fans in Copenhagen. (Others, thankfully, have been approving).

We are based in the UK. The great majority of our writers are British. Yet a website - as opposed to a newspaper, say, or a TV station - can be and is read by people around the world.

Kerim Emre, a lifelong Galatasaray supporter, wrote to tell us: 'The bias with which your British columnists write is to a point insulting to a nation, a team, and definitely me.'

In reply, and Kerim was kind enough to acknowledge this, I stated: 'We are a football site and as such it is a great shame that we are forced to address the problems of hooliganism and violence. In doing so, we set out at all times to be objective, balanced and fair.

'There has been full and frank coverage of the problems perpetrated by any and all hooligans, regardless of where they come from and who they support.'

And yet, and yet... The perspective on Soccernet remains largely a British one. The emphasis over the past few days has been on the Arsenal fans, the consequences of Copenhagen for England's 2006 World Cup bid, and the threat of more violence at Euro 2000 involving English fans.

We can report the reactions of the Galatasaray fans, and the Turkish people as a whole, but we do it from afar.

It is easier, perhaps, and more newsworthy - though infinitely sadder - to note the death of a 2-year-old girl (killed by a bullet shot in the air in celebration) than to report that on the same day there was no trouble whatsoever as tens of thousands of fans marked the team's return to Istanbul. But the good news is just as true, and maybe just as significant.

The Istanbul city government has announced that all the players will have streets named in the honour. This having beaten Arsenal, after whom a London Underground station was named. How fitting! Had it not been for the violence, maybe more would have been made of this.

Galtasaray's players are to receive special awards from the national government, too. The citation declares them to be "best servant[s] to the country". The victory - the first by a Turkish side in European competition - means that much to the country as a whole.

In fact, there are Turkish politicians who believe the result will help smooth Turkey's troubled passage into the European Union. And the politicians have other reasons to be thankful to Galatasaray.

'People are happy because of football and they're forgetting about the bad things like money and the budget,' says Saricicek Hasn, a sports writer with the newspaper 'Turkiye', who has followed Turkish teams across Europe.

Hasn has been a frequent visitor to Britain. He is in a good position to give some perspective to the violence and the football, the English and Turkish points of view. And he is a firm believer in the good that sport can do. 'This is not the way to play games - this should not happen at sporting events. We must be on the side of fair play.'

'I would like to congratulate the British press because they understand what the problem is. It's a problem for the whole world, not for Turkey or for Britain or for football.'

That chimes with our perspective. This is the story that Hasn wants to tell - of friendship, and fair play, and thrilling action on the pitch. Not running battles, knives drawn, blood spilt, lives lost.

Soccernet has a duty to report the bad things, but equally we want to get the positive messages across as well.

Let us know if you think we get things wrong. You can even tell us if you believe we get things right! And let's all work to ensure that the story of Euro 2000 is one of friendship and fair play, not death and despair.

What's your point of view? We'll publish a selection of views sent to letters@soccernet.com