Even after the bottle throwing at the RL derby, and it wasn't the first time it had happened, alcohol is still allowed to be drank in your seats. Something not allowed at football, in the same same city, same stadium, same police and licensing restrictions. I know it's a FL regulation but that doesnt make it right, that is nothing more than two tier policing.
I can see the policing levels for the last RL derby were beefed up, that was as a result of the RL investigation into the trouble and one of the 'punishments'. I couldn't imagine City getting away with something like that if a simliar incident happened during a FL game. We'd have been hit with a huge fine, possible points deduction, ground closure and convictions, bans, name and shame, and sentances for all those involved. Nothing of that sort happend after the RL derby.
Also the RL authority blankly refuse to pay for policing. This was the case in Hull too up to quite recently, it may have changed for certain games but it a policy the RL authority stick too and in complete contrast to the FL ruling on the same subject. Indeed, it was an issue at City and our stadium recently when it was said that Hull City have a bigger bill for policing games than Arsenal.
I accept that there is a need for a police presense at certain games but not on the scale we are currently seeing. I cannot remember the last time I saw serious crowd trouble at a City game but we get the police in numbers as though it was still the problem it was in the 70's and 80's, but at todays cost which must be colosall.
Of course the stock answer to that is 'because the police are there' But on the odd game we see when there are no police ( or very few) in attendance, there is also no trouble.
Next home game, 12.30 ko v Millwall, our police bill will be huge. it would be cheaper to give the few Millwall fans who will come £50 each to stop at home and pay for a live stream of the game so they can watch it for free at the Den.