Football Policing - The Same Old Story

With the ongoing debate of who actually pays for policing at football, could we see a drop in the numbers of police being deployed on a match day if the clubs have to foot the bill alone? Who does the final decision lie with about what resource is required from a certain fixture? Is it up to the club themselves to decide, or does the decision still rest with the local police force? What's to stop them deploying excessive numbers of their force and handing the bill straight over to the club?

"We had 600 officers on duty today sir, here's the invoice for £260,000, see you next week".

"It was Colchester v Reading in a midweek league cup tie, do you not think 600 officers was a little excessive sir?"

"Pay the bill and shut up or you'll be arrested"

"Excuse me officer?"

"Right get in the van, you're being arrested for drunken disorderly behaviour, you have the right to remain silent...."

If the police present at football matches up and down the country continued their "on duty" behaviour at all levels of football policing, then that scenario above is entirely plausible. They wouldn't address a football chairman in that manner, so why do us mere football fans face that level of treatment? Isn't it about time they stepped out of an 1980's mindset and actually started to treat us as human beings?

At Sunderland on Saturday, a mate I hadn't seen for over a year approached me at half time on the councourse under the stand, and gave me a playful bear hug. Picked me up, squeezed me and dropped me. Both of us laughing and cries of "nice to see you" (you know how it goes). Mr.Policeman then comes over and warns us for our behaviour.

"No problem officer. We're just messing around"

"Well mess around again and you'll be arrested ok"

"What for? Surely I can't be arrested for hugging a friend?"

"If you carry on you'll have a night in the cells ok"

I then walk away in disbelief, although I should be used to it by now. The two officers then stand by the entrance to the gents and stare over, more than likely waiting for me to sneeze so they could arrest me. We're now not allowed to question the police at football. Do so and you're arrested, with the usual "D&D" charge to follow as it's something you cannot dispute. No breath test, therefore no evidence of you being intoxicated or not. Your word against theirs. Football fan v Police Officer. There's only ever going to be one winner.

I know of 3 fans that were arrested for being drunk on Saturday. They were on a coach, with the organiser being told they would be released after the game to catch the coach home. The coach party then held back for them after the game, and waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually being told the 3 stooges were being kept in. They were eventually released at midnight, 150 miles from home and no trains or transport. A typical police trick. How lovely of them. Taxi from Sunderland to Liverpool being the only option to get home. As if football isn't expensive enough.

But they'll continue to abuse the football fan as there is nobody there to question them. If they treated ethnic minorities in the same way there would be national uproar. But it doesn't matter, we're only football fans.

The "Section 60" law is an ideal example of abuse of power. For those that don't know; it was a law brought in several years ago to give officers the power to stop and search potential trouble makers. Nothing more than a search for weapons, the law does not allow anything more than that. Yet anyone who has travelled to an away game on the train will have experienced one of these searches. Or seen them being undertaken. The police ask for fan's names, address, usually thrusting a video camera in their faces and searching wallets, all pockets and even inside their shoes. Now unless they are likely to be carrying an axe in their middle of their toes....

Complete abuse of the power the section 60 law has given them. But anyone who questions what they are allowed to do under section 60, will be arrested and charged with "d&d", that easy one yet again. You can't win.

How will this ever change if nobody is able to challenge them?

PC Paul Jones