FANS WILL HAVE BALL

WITH the 2018 World Cup draw just a few weeks away it’s a good time to bust a few myths about going to Russia next summer.

I recently went to Moscow to film for my new venture with Russian news channel RT.

It was the week Manchester United and Liverpool were in the Russian capital to play Champions League games against CSKA and Spartak.

Over the two nights I went in all four ends to get a feel for what’s going on and I came away more than happy with the way police and security handled a potentially incendiary situation.

It could easily have kicked off between United and Liverpool fans in Moscow without throwing the local firms into the mix.

But what I saw convinced me that the authorities simply won’t allow hooligans from Russia or anywhere else to tarnish the biggest football show on earth next summer.

They don’t want a repeat of the scenes I witnessed first-hand at Euro 2016 in Marseille.

The policing was safe and secure, and fans I spoke to from both English clubs had a cracking time and didn’t feel threatened or intimidated.

The atmosphere was good in Red Square, there were no problems on the metro or buses and the stadiums were 100 per cent safe.

The only concern I have would be from the global threat of terrorism. But that’s a worldwide problem.

I’m certain genuine football fans will be safe and sound in Russia – and they’ll be warmly welcomed.