An eye-opener

Thankfully this was my first trip in a police van.

But it was nonetheless a daunting first step into a riot vehicle that may well have been used to respond to a huge breaking incidents in its lifetime.

As part of my look behind the scenes at how football matches are policed, I was lucky enough to be invited along to see just how much work goes into keeping fans safe as far as is possible. And the answer is; a lot. Not just by police, but by several public services and the two clubs involved.

The disorder vehicle I was in – one of three on the day – went out across Wishaw and Motherwell to check on local pubs and track fans arriving into the town.

Their number one priority is not, as some fans seem to believe, to arrest them. They are seeking to prevent crime.

As one group moved towards the town centre, the unit in the van blocked the entrance to the High Street and asked them to walk around another street.

They accepted, and this kept the High Street clear of a large group of supporters on a busy Sunday afternoon.

This may seem like a small victory but keeping the High Street clear and appealing to shoppers has a big knockon effect for the town as a whole.

Another over-riding feeling I came away with from dealing with several officers throughout the day – and this may sound obvious – is they are all human.

It’s easy for people to forget that officers are not just their uniforms, they are also fathers, mothers, daughters and sons.

Some spoke of getting abused, both physically and verbally at work.

That shouldn’t happen to anyone, particularly those who are, in fact, only interested in keeping the general public safe.

The combined work of the police and the clubs meant the game went ahead safely. That should be a formality but it is clear that a big police presence at some football matches is still a necessity.

The fact the public purse still has to pay for this is even more unfortunate.