Football chiefs give friendly the highest hooligan alert rating
SCOTLAND’s football friendly with England tomorrow is at high risk of being marred by fan violence and hooliganism, the game’s governing body has warned. Uefa has given the match a CIR rating – meaning it is at the greatest possible risk of disruption and fuelling fears over disorder in and around the game in Glasgow.
A senior police officer has confirmed secret intelligence that the match at Celtic Park may be blighted by football hooligans.
This is despite 2,000 letters being sent to known England troublemakers, warning them to keep away from Glasgow.
Chief Superintendent Andy Bates, divisional commander f or the Greater Glasgow division of Police Scotland, said resources similar to an Old Firm game would be deployed to try to thwart ‘planned disorder around this game’.
Warning of violence and disruption that could ‘disturb the local
‘This is as big as it gets’
community’, he added: ‘This is as big as it gets. There won’t be many of my guys having a day off on Tuesday.
‘In truth, most would not want to be off. It is what we joined up for.’
His chilling prediction of organised violence carries echoes of the day the nations last played on Scottish soil, in 1999.
In shameful scenes in and around Glasgow city centre and at Hampden Park itself, 230 people were arrested for assaults and other public order offences.
It was directly as a result of those scenes that England have not ventured north so far this century, as the tie was considered simply too dangerous to stage.
But it was believed that tension between the two countries had eased in the intervening years. Scotland played England in London last year, with hardly any arrests.
However, it is now evident from the warning from Police Scotland that a hard- core of cross-Border hooligans not only still exists but plans to put on a show of strength tomorrow night.
Among those considered a threat are the fans of London Premiership club Chelsea.
Mr Bates said arrests were inevitable.
He added: ‘ We do have intelligence that suggests there may be planned disorder around this game. We are working very closely with our colleagues in the UK Policing Unit to gather a nd s hare intelligence.
‘But we are confident we know what is going to happen.’
He said specialist officers had been combing the internet and social media sites for signs of anyone trying to arrange confrontations between rival fans.
He added: ‘I am not trying to scaremonger. We are talking about pockets of disorder. But we are working to identify the people involved and disrupt any plans they have to engage in disorder. Some will be planning to go to the game; some will be coming just to cause trouble. We are talking about enough t o disturb t he l ocal community.’
Asked what he believed were the reasons behind the aggravation, Mr Bates said: ‘It is history. There has been trouble in the past and we have to learn from the past.
‘Although it was 15 years ago, it was still a difficult time. The English have had problems with their travelling support in the past.’
He said he would view it as a failure if the same number of arrests occurred as in 1999.
He added: ‘This is about facilitating people getting to this game as safely as possible.
‘I anticipate arrests but, if we do our job properly, there will not be the same number of arrests.’
Police officers from all over England will travel north with the fans today and tomorrow.
Although Police Scotland has the option of choosing officers from all
‘Arrests are inevitable’
over the country, it is likely those on duty will be Glasgow-based.
England were allocated 7,224 tickets but have so far sold only 5,077.
Uefa has given the match a CIR rating – C is the highest category of match with the potential for trouble, while IR means ‘increased risk’.
The Football Banning Orders Authority has sent warnings to 2,000 England fans, reminding them they are prevented from attending the game.
Meanwhile, Scots trains will be dry on the day of the game – but fans travelling north from England will be able to drink on the journey.
British Transport Police said it was ‘not practical’ to ban alcohol on trains from the South because journey times are longer and more stations are involved.