Ex-police chief attacks plan for neutral venues

Argument ‘based on fans’ reputation, not evidence’ Lead officer says five games cannot be played at home

The push to play at least five Premier League matches at neutral venues is based on an outdated view of supporters shaped by their previous reputation, a former match commander has said in a scathing attack on police plans.

Owen West, a recently retired West Yorkshire chief superintendent and an expert on crowd policing, said that the drive to play some games at neutral venues, including at least three Liverpool matches, was not based on “current intelligence” on supporters.

The comments came following a day of confusion in the neutral-venues saga after Mark Roberts, Britain’s most senior football police officer, said that at least five fixtures would not be played at the usual home grounds following requests from local forces.

Roberts said in his statement that a “consensus” had been reached over the issue. The Premier League does not regard the matter as settled, though, and still hopes all fixtures can be completed without the need for neutral venues.

Merseyside Police said they had no objections, in relation to crime and disorder, to any matches being played at Anfield and Goodison Park, while Greater Manchester Police said final decisions had not yet been reached.

Roberts, the national lead for football policing, named Manchester City v Liverpool, Manchester City v Newcastle, Manchester United v Sheffield United, Newcastle v Liverpool and Everton v Liverpool as the five matches that would be held at neutral venues.

The same would apply to any match in which Liverpool could secure the title, meaning Jurgen Klopp’s side would not be able to win it at Anfield but would be able to play there after being confirmed as league winners.

The argument for playing at neutral grounds has focused on the fear that fans would gather outside stadiums. But West questioned how moving to a neutral venue would make a difference in the case of a Liverpool title victory, for example, as he would still expect celebrations in the city, irrespective of where the crown was won.

“Too much of this risk assessment is based on former reputation and not on current intelligence,” he said. “We simply don’t know how a call for responsible action to the fans would be received. I think it would be received very well. We cannot as a police force continue to rely on reputation and the things that have happened years ago.

“I vividly remember observing a match in a northern force within the last two years. Two clubs came together who had not played for 27 years, and it said on the police briefing that one of the reasons for the high number of police officers involved was that 27 years ago these clubs came into contact and there was disorder.

“This is a classic example of not having up-to-date, contemporary intelligence, and wrapping up what might have happened before as a rationale to go to a neutral venue.”

Greater Manchester Police said they had identified the three games in their area which required “further conversation”, but they were still working with clubs and safety groups to see if those matches could be played at the intended grounds.

Liverpool still hope to play their remaining home matches at Anfield, although manager Klopp said it was

“not important” to him where they won the title.

“We have the best home fans in the world so maybe now we have the best stay-at-home fans in the world,” the Liverpool manager told BEIN Sports. “There’s a 50 per cent chance of not becoming champion in your own stadium anyway. Who cares? It’s really not important. We will celebrate in the right manner whenever it might be.”

‘Too much of this risk assessment is not based on current intelligence’