Police ready if trouble brews at U’s clash against Norwich (From Gazette)
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Police ready if trouble brews at U’s clash against Norwich
6:00pm Tuesday 5th January 2010 in News
POLICE are warning they will not stand for any trouble ahead of a major football clash.
Colchester United’s home tie against Norwich City, on Saturday, January 16, has been given Essex Police’s highest risk assessment for matches.
Relations between the two sides have been strained since the U’s beat Norwich 7-1 on the opening day of the season.
Colchester manager Paul Lambert and two members of his coaching team then left to take up posts at Norwich soon after, adding to the animosity.
The clubs are now locked in a dispute over compensation for their departure, with a tribunal set to be held at the end of this month.
The match, at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, is expected to boast one of the largest attendances the ground has had since it opened in August 2008.
Supt Iain Logan, of Colchester police, said the anticipated 10,000-strong crowd at what would be a highly-charged local derby meant police would be prepared if there was trouble.
He said: “The initial assessment for the game is a category C, which is the highest assessment. This is just an initial stance though, and will be confirmed later in the week.
“We know it is going to be a really good local derby, very charged with a great atmosphere. We have got a lot of experience in managing different categories of games for a number of years, so we are ready.
“We are working very closely with licensees, traders and the club, with the overall intention to support the event and make sure it is safe and enjoyable for everyone.
“We will be treating anyone found behaving badly robustly and firmly.”
Last month, U’s chairman Robbie Cowling said he would rather take a financial hit and see an empty seat, than allocate extra tickets to Norwich fans.
While he insisted he has no problem with the fans, he added: “The Norwich board have acted appallingly towards our club recently and I’m not sure I have ever wanted to win a game of football so badly.”
Comments(13)
Goonerboy
says...
7:39pm Tue 5 Jan 10
For once why not treat people as adults , keep a low profile but be ready iof necessary maybe then you might not be rasing the tension
Denizen
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9:11am Wed 6 Jan 10
Denizen
says...
10:33am Wed 6 Jan 10
Sdapeze
says...
10:47am Wed 6 Jan 10
Voter99
says...
11:52am Wed 6 Jan 10
Matthegame
says...
1:43pm Wed 6 Jan 10
'If' anything happens the police are just reassuring fans travelling to the game they will be protected. There is no indication of violence being a forgone conclusion, still you've reacted as if it will be.
The point about neither team winning a trophy in years again is totally irrelevant. Both teams have been promoted in the last 5 years once and relegated once. Both have had good cup runs and both have claimed some big team scalps. Unfortunatly for you your image of the game and the two teams is so backward and out of touch you've just condemned all supporters as mindless savages.
Both teams have some of the best records for fan behaviour in the country for your information, despite some of the half arsed reporting the Gazette has produced in the last few months saying otherwise.
I suggest you do your homework on things before you make a comment, and there are thousands of other fans in the local area who would agree with what i've said.
bumbleprime
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3:15pm Wed 6 Jan 10
Say It As It Is
says...
3:59pm Wed 6 Jan 10
The reality is the vast majority do know how to behave. I was at Carrow Road for that 7-1 result. All the press after the game was about the two Norwich fans who invaded the pitch after they went 4-0 down, yet there were a large number of the 23,000+ Norwich fans who stayed until the very end, and took the time to applaud our players off the pitch and this was never reported in the media at all. It just goes to show that those majority of fans who behave properly, and can show great humility, do not get even nearly as much press as the very small minority who seek only to cause trouble. The same is generally true in society as a whole, people who do good things and deserve recognition for it, don't get the same attention as those who don't.
The vast majority of Colchester supporters have absolutely nothing against Norwich fans, why would they as they are not the ones who have done anything wrong. The issue is firmly with Paul Lambert and his two little helpers, and the Norwich board due to the way they went about appointing them.
Colchester supporters are rightly angry about this, but know the best way forward is go get behind our own team when we play them, in order to give the team the best possible chance of getting the right result. A U's win on the 16th would be just the right sort of revenge, not picking a fight with Norwich fans who are completely blameless.
romantic
says...
4:08pm Wed 6 Jan 10
But the point is that there is no indication anywhere that trouble is planned, either at the ground or elsewhere. People jumping on some kind of moral high-horse are frankly living in an era which ended 25 years ago - they should maybe go to a game, and see the people who are there: not crazy-eyed hooligans, just normal people - old, young, male, female. Let's not tarnish every football fan with an accusation for something which has not even happened!
I've watched football at Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich, and would be surprised if there is any more than good-natured banter. Even the rivalry between Ipswich and Norwich is pretty good-natured compared with real old rivalries such as Man U / Leeds, Celtic / Rangers, West Ham / Millwall. Let's not create self-fulfilling prophecies by suddenly labelling it as high-risk and splashing that all over the paper. I've been following the build-up to this game on 606, and there is loads of banter between Colchester and Norwich, but nodoy there is expecting this to be some kind of riot! The game will be good, and will bring lots of people to the town, it should be applauded.
Goonerboy
says...
4:39pm Wed 6 Jan 10
I have a real problem with having cops who have been watching too many SWAT shows standing in lines videoing me when I am going to a game , I believe it creates tension rather than subdues it
Sdapeze
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4:43pm Wed 6 Jan 10
romantic
says...
10:36pm Wed 6 Jan 10
I kind of liked Layer Road, as it was so close to the action, but if you've not gone for some time, would say maybe head to the new stadium, as it's not quite such a tin-shed!
I do hope, having written all this, that the game does go OK - if not, I shall have to apologise back...
Voter99 says...
6:05pm Tue 5 Jan 10