Match night ‘will be busy time for police’

Apr 25 2008 by Richard Fletcher, Chester Chronicle

CHESTER is braced for thousands of ticket- less soccer fans swamping the city on Tuesday as they back their team’s promotion bid.

Ian Dooley of Stockport Supporters Club predicts a busy night for Chester’s police force.

He said fans were angry at the allocation of only 1,800 tickets for safety reasons but hoped the 5,000 he believes will make the short trip will be in a happy mood.

Mr Dooley said: “It’s only 50 miles from Stockport so I can easily see 5,000 fans coming up. The mood is quite jocular but closer to game it could become angrier.”

Stockport fans were handed 1,800 tickets for Tuesday’s match, to be balloted among more than 2,000 who attended the match which was abandoned on March 29.

Chester City FC and the Safety Advisory Group agreed to limit numbers due to crowd congestion at the original fixture. But home tickets are limited as well and unavailable after Wednesday evening. Stockport supporters are unhappy, estimating 2,000 empty seats.

Also, fans who did not attend the original match were never given the chance to attend the rearranged game.

Mr Dooley said he had not received a ticket but would “very possibly” be going along.

He said: “There are lots of places to have a drink. A lot of Stockport fans will want to make a day of it.

“Cheshire police should be preparing for a busy evening – I would imagine trouble-free – and expect people to turn up just to be there.

“We’ve been taking 2,000 all over the place, even to Barnet. Cheshire Constablulary must know these facts. And if we win, who’s going to kick off? We’ll be in a party mood. It’s just a shame the police have spoiled it all.”

Police will have more officers on the streets and manning CCTV. They have told pub licensees to expect 2,000 away fans in the city, 3,000 less than Stockport Supporters Club’s prediction.

It is unlikely pubs will close, but a bus could be laid on to ferry fans to the Deva Stadium.

A spokesman said: “We urge supporters without tickets not to travel. There will be no cash admissions on the night.

“Cheshire police are aware there are likely to be more Stockport fans travelling to the city than have tickets to attend the match. The intelligence, and subsequent plans, are under constant review and we will continue to do this to ensure we have the best possible strategy come April 29.”

Frank Marnell of Chester Pubwatch said the group was well-prepared and said: “They’ve put it as a risk. They are expecting in the region of 1,500- 2,000. The problem is not the people watching the match, it’s the hangers-on.”