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

Comments

[John T]

Where i sat in the kippax stand at Main Road was on the wrong side of the away supporters for my coach, this meant i had to walk all the way round the ground to get the coach. We played Millwall when all away fans were banned but guess what the police did yes they still formed a line and stopped all home fans from walking past where the away fans would have been. I blame their superiors.

[Tom Saunders]

Big Philly, let me guess Irish right? I'm assuming your an LFC fans so yes Irish it is

[Andy Birtles]

I am also a serving Police Officer with G.M.P and a Manchester United home and away regular. some of the Policing at Football matches is way over the top, I have neither the time nor the inclination to start producing my warrant card everytime I get addressed by an officer at a football match so know as well as anyone how over the top some of them can be.
At the same time I have been on duty at matches many times and seen how desperate some members of the public are to start labelling you a 'fascist' etc. Picture this scenario 4 or 5 fellas being rowdy, swearing, spilling ber around on a concourse, now to me football is a working mans game and I wouldn't have any problem with that, it would be me and my mates if I was off duty, but these days there are so many women and kids present and these people look at you to do something under these circumstances, they will be the ones taking your number and complaining if you don't. So you go over and say "Look lads I know you're just messing about but cut the swearing out and keep stop banging into people" or something similar, you are then a facist, a nazi etc etc "We pay your wages blah blah blah"

[Stan]

The debate about who should pay was on 5live recently - a police officer pops up to counter a claim that the vast over policing of games is a way of bumping up overtime, stating that officers at a match arent on overtime, they are diverted from other duties. Er, so, if these coppers were going to be on duty anyway, how is policing football an 'extra' cost? At Reading a couple of years ago any Man Utd fans arriving by train were subjected to a body search, airport metal detector arches, and a sniffer dog (who incorrectly fingered me and a mate for drugs - neither of us has had so much as a spliff in our lives). Yet, of course, our names and addresses were taken, checked against criminal records, etc. The explanation was 'its a category B game', my 'what the f*** do you do for a category C then?' saw me pushed towards the van before an embarrassed officer intervened. I suppose the history of mass violence between Reading and United warrants this sort of attitude..... and it obvously, no way, never is it anything to do with police overtime....

[Chris in Manila]

It's about time this is raised in Parliament. For 30-50 quid per seat, the police treat fans worse than you could treat an animal. And they get away with it.

[Big Philly]

Mike R....let me guess?....ignorant Manc or cockney?....Oh, silly me...that`s the same thing is it not?......Gob she oyt!

[panchovilla]

The police don't want this job and clubs are free to provide their own security; they know, however, that the private sector are less professional, less effective and much more expensive. Football is the only business that is allowed to consume so much of a communities policing resources, time to stop bleating about costs and put the safety of supporters first.

[panchovilla]

How narrow minded are football supporters? The policing of UK football matches is the best in Europe and is essential to ensure we can enjoy our games safely. Many like to put their heads in the sand but each club has a hard core of trouble makers who have been driven into the background by positive policing. Without which it would quickly become the blight of the game once again.

[Alan LUCAS]

Well, as a fan who attends matches at Chelsea since 1975 (home and away) and as a police officer, I have an interest in this article - I work Hertfordshire and see the impact Watford has on policing nad although they are a non trouble club, getting officers to cover it is having a knock on effect for local services we provide.
Having said that, I too have been called 'scum' by an offcier as I was at a game supporting chelsea, they may have had a bad experience in the 80's or somthing but they had tarred me with the same brush so I am aware of some poor oficers out there.
What everyone over her in UK forgets is the policing now is much better than it was, is evenly balanced than in Europe and still improving so reports such as these will ease off - especially when the true fan (that I class myself as) will soon be priced out leaving business men to shake hands and not hug upon greating someone they know

[Rob F (Port Vale fan)]

What a brilliant article. As a lower leagues fan, I have also witnessed the appalling hypocricy of the police. At one ground they applied section 60 to anyone under 25. I complained and was threatened with arrest. They then piled into the away end to arrest someone for flicking v signs back to home supporters who were doing the same. When I asked loudly why they were not taking the same action with home fans, a red-faced, furious officer threatened to take me out as well. It reminds me how little the game has moved on from the eighties when my dad - sensitive to my young ears - asked coppers at Mansfield to please stop swearing and was nearly arrested for it.

[Andy Pechey]

A couple of seasons ago, at an FA Cup 2nd round game (Hereford v Stockport), there were honestly more police than away fans (250). Those who travelled by train were escorted by the police to a single designated pub, then on to the ground in small groups. I had to hide my shirt to get into the town centre for a bit of lunch. Before and after the game a police helicopter hovered over the ground. I have no idea what this all cost or who payed for it but as far as I'm aware, it was so unnecessary and over the top it doesn't bear thinking about. It's not as if there's any history of trouble and it's not as if there were tens of thousands of fans on either side.

[E]

It's fair enough to charge the clubs. You don't need hundreds of officers at Cricket and Rugby games.

[James Ryddel]

The question of excessive police numbers is a good one. How many times do we see coppers doing nothing apart from standing on street corners in a huddle drinking Bovril on matchdays? This when they're on double-time.

On the flip side of the coin, the cops would no doubt argue that they cannot win, how often have you heard "there's never a copper around when you need one"?

The point about who should pay for policing outside grounds is a good one too. There needs to be more dialogue between the clubs and the decision-makers on numbers. Matchday policing needs to be monitored more closely so that the public and clubs know they are getting value for money.

The accusation of abuse of power is a fair one too, but as Oli points out, it's nothing compared to what goes on in Europe. If the attitude of our police towards the fans is stuck in the mid 80's, the Italian police are stuck in the middle ages.

As a general point I'd argue that no other class of society is treated as badly as football fans by the police. Fans are all too often treated like second-class citizens and as the article makes clear, you cannot challenge the police, not directly at any rate.

In summary, our lot are a very long way from being perfect, but they are by no means the worst.

[mike r]

3 scousers arrested! Let me guess, it was the coppers fault.

[Bill S]

Discrimination of the highest order, keeping the masses at bay. Rugby banning orders? Cricket banning orders? Gentlemans game they say.

[Bernard Lawson]

Don't allow the police to bully you. Take their number and report them for Trespass against the Person or assault. They will hate all the paperwork that comes with that. Remember, the police are civil servants, treat them as such.

[George Davidge]

We were at the valley & The Biggest Copper you ever saw in your life stopped patrolling (or whatever) right in front of my son. I leaned forward & asked loudly but politely if he would'nt mind moving. I was very quickly removed from my seat leaving an 8 year old on his todd. Taken up the tunnel & threatened with all things apart from being arrested. I am only 5'7 but due to the anxiety of leaving a child alone was thrashing around abit trying to get back to my son. A superior officer (inspector or something) came along & wanted to know what was going on as the noise we was making could be heard on the pitch. they do say I got a big gob. Having heard all the stories & gone to my son & heard the versions of the lads around us I was cautioned & allowed to resume my seat. i was supposed to have got a copy of the caution in the post as yet I've heard nothing.

[Oli Winton]

Good article - thanks.

The first thing I'd say is that whatever flaws our police have at football, they have got it right more than any other country (apart from Germany maybe) in Europe. I've followed Man United all over Europe and the policing can just be shocking, eg Roma 2 seasons ago. Sometimes individual police officers here go on power trips, especially in Yorkshire it seems, but on the whole they do stand off to an extent and don't wave in with batons at the first opportunity. Verbal warnings etc can be annoying and unncecessary but it is nothing compared to the high fences, tear gas and baton charging that goes on pretty much every time we go across the channel.

As for paying for it, football clubs already pay for policing inside the ground. I don't see how they can be expected to pay any more- someone in football shirt in a pub 5 miles away is taking it too far surely? And if the clubs do pay more then the cost will be passed on to fans as it always is these days- ticket prices are enough already thank you very much.

And if this was to happen for football, why stop there? I already pay be taxes towards policing so expect to receive it when I go to football without paying extra through ticket prices. If this happens then pubs and clubs, city centre bars etc should all have to pay too. It would be crazy! Whilst many Premiership clubs could afford it (namely by charging the fans) lower league clubs could not and we would see even more bankruptcy and clubs in administration. I doubt Luton could cough up £50k right now for police!

I appreciate that football is a draining cost to the policeforce, but music events such as Glastonbury, or all marches and processions in Whitehall are too, yet we do not charge tax payers more to cover it.