CHAOS AS FANS RUSH WEMBLEY
ENGLISH football’s biggest night since 1966 was marred last night by the actions of hooligans that eye witnesses described as ‘terrifying’. The atmosphere on Wembley Way had been febrile for most of the day but the first sign that things were turning sinister arrived just after 5pm when — in two separate incidents — more than 1,000 hooligans broke through barriers by the main reception. With a negligible police presence and stewards facing an impossible task to contain order, the mob scurried up stairs on to the concourse that had the entrances to blocks 102 to 107 — the area of the stadium containing the families of the England players. The incident was eventually contained, but an hour later the situation became even worse. The doors to Gate G were smashed off their hinges and more than 1,000 ticketless yobs hurtled into the stadium. One witness told of a disabled fan being pushed to the floor amid the chaos as those who had broken in tried to escape from their pursuers. Sportsmail was shown videos of the incident by spectators who had paid £820 for their tickets, and security officials were exasperated at being in such a helpless position. Groups of youths streamed down the stairs, trying to find a vantage point of any seat they could pilfer. There were repeat incidents in other corners and, shortly after kick-off, there were still hundreds of individuals streaming in. It created an atmosphere of high tension, as arguments broke out. One mother, who asked not to be named, with her two daughters explained that she was ‘terrified’ and that an experience which should have lasted a lifetime had been ruined. In Block 102, a category one area in which tickets were priced at more than £800, at least 40 hooded youths, many carrying cans of lager, raced down the steps. A group of four stewards were powerless to stop them.
A Wembley spokesperson said no one got into the stadium without a ticket, which was met with incredulity by eye witnesses to the carnage. There was no visible police presence in the stadium. Stewards were left, first, to try to contain the situation outside and prevent more ticketless people getting in before they could try to weed out those who had gained entry. The reality is that there were thousands more inside the stadium than the official figure of 66,000. Entry to the stadium should have been on production of a certificate to show proof of two coronavirus vaccines at least 14 days before the event or evidence of a negative lateral flow test.