Ahead of England’s World Cup football qualifying match against Poland, at Wembley, any disorder arising from the crunch game will be ‘alcohol-fuelled and result-led’ police admit – in other words depending on whether or not England qualify for the World Cup finals in Brazil.
Chief Superintendent Colin Morgan, who is in charge of the Met Police policing operation, said: “This is a big night for England and Poland fans alike, who are hoping the match goes smoothly and in their favour! Along with colleagues from British Transport Police and Wembley Stadium we have been planning our operation for weeks. What we want is for all the fans who are heading to the match to cheer on their national team to have a great, safe, night out.
“If you are heading to Wembley Stadium tomorrow night then help us to look after you by planning ahead and getting the most out of your evening out. Our policing operation will focus in and around Wembley Stadium, but also other iconic sites in London that we know attracts football fans during Wembley matches.”
Five pubs in the Wembley area have been allocated for Polish fans they are: ‘The Torch’ 1 Bridge Road; ‘Crock of Gold’ 23 Bridge Road; ‘Crystals’, South Way, ‘Liquor Station’, 379 High Road; and ‘Premier Inn’ 151 Wembley Park Drive.
The Met offers tips to help plan for a trouble free night out:
= Be on time
The doors to Wembley open two hours and 30 minutes ahead of the match, so get there in plenty of time. Thousands of fans will all be trying to do the same thing so there will be queues
= Plan your journey
Wembley Stadium is a public transport only venue. Make sure you know which trains and tubes get you to Wembley Stadium, you can check up to date travel advice via the Transport for London website. At the end of the match there be queues as people all head off to the tubes and trains. Staff will be working hard to make sure these queues clear as quickly as possible, but please listen out to announcements
= If you don’t have a ticket, don’t risk it
Don’t be tempted to buy from touts, you may well pay an over inflated price for a ticket that turns out to be a fake. Our officers will be targeting touts around Wembley Stadium, it is an offence to sell a ticket for this match unless you are authorised
= Controlled drinking zones
Wembley Stadium will be an alcohol free zone for this match, no alcohol will be sold inside the ground. The area around the stadium is a controlled drinking zone, which means you can’t drink in the street. The City of Westminster also has a controlled drinking zone. Remember that if you are caught drinking in the street you are open to arrest. Don’t drink too much ahead of the game, remember it for all the right reasons!
= Keep your stuff safe
Make sure you keep a close eye on all your belongings. Some thieves use the cover of crowds to pick pockets and dip bags. Only get your ticket out at the turnstile to make sure it stays in your hands, not a thief’s
There will be a large, highly visible policing operation in central London, surrounding key transport hubs and Wembley Stadium itself on Tuesday, October 15. It is thought that Polish fans with or without tickets may congregate in public places such as Trafalgar Square. Met officers will be working with spotters from Poland as part of the operation. Police and stewards are there to try and help keep people safe, please ask them for advice and follow their instructions.
As part of the operation the Met has a planned response in place should there be any violence or disorder.
