Frankfurt police warn West Ham fans

Frankfurt police have promised officers on every street corner to ward off ambushes between hooligan gangs during West Ham’s Europa League semi-final second leg tomorrow.

A ring of steel security presence is intended as a reassurance measure, with police warning an estimated 1,500 ticketless fans to stay central instead of travelling to the stadium. Officers in Germany, as well as at Scotland Yard, have been on alert as West Ham fans were involved in running clashes with Eintracht Frankfurt ultras in Seville where the English side were playing Sevilla and the German’s Real Betis at the last-16 stage.

“We have a very huge concept for the whole game,” said Thomas Hollerbach, a press liaison officer for Frankfurt police. “This is not only concerning the stadium but also the whole city – especially the inner city. You won’t find a street corner on Thursday where you won’t see police. We want to communicate. We have people there that will be able to speak English and who will be able to take a sense of the mood.”

Officers are keen to keep a close eye on ticketless fans. “There are probably going to be 1,500 British fans coming to Frankfurt without having a ticket,” Hollerbach said. “The infrastructure in Germany with the football stadiums is a little bit different than England. You guys have stadiums surrounded by pubs so you can just go across the street and sit down in a pub and watch the game there. But that’s something we do not have in Frankfurt because it’s outside the city.”

Scotland Yard said in a statement: “The Met Police is supporting the German police in their efforts to keep the public safe, prevent crime and disorder and respond effectively to any incidents during West Ham’s Europa League semi-final in Frankfurt.”