They've given up trying to get the derby game kick off time changed, 4 days before the game. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-31111194 Article in brief: The police wanted an early kickoff because they said a late one would increase the risk of alcohol-fuelled disorder. (I suppose that's better than just "some people might go to the pub beforehand") The Council didn't want an early kickoff, and even refused to change Goodison's safety certificate for the game to make one possible. The licencing committee didn't want an early kickoff (it was their decision to allow a late one that was being challenged) Police have said in previous years late kickoffs for games against other sides have seen trouble, but the decision to appeal it was nothing to do with the behaviour of Liverpool or Everton fans. Merseyside Police said in December that weekend games should begin no later than 13:30 GMT, and that there was no intelligence about anything happening but they had to take action anyway because of "wider implications". Honestly, if I'd been one of Everton's representatives I'd have been telling them where to go rather than agreeing to additional segregation arrangements.
One of their top brass was on local telly earlier saying that there'd be 3x as many officers in attendance & the additional cost would be met, not by the club, not by the fans, not by Sky but by the people who pay their council tax. Scaremongering ****.
Seems Humberside Police have got something right though... http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull...ars-racially/story-25962384-detail/story.html
Being racist isn't the brightest at the best of times, doing it in the family stand and expecting to get away with it takes stupidity of the highest order.
Maybe one day Humberside Police will manage to arrest away fans ripping up seats and throwing them at City fans? This clown Corcoran spent time and effort tracking down a City fan who set a flare off at Goodison and having him banned. Yet Everton fans set half a dozen off at the KC without any intervention by police and stewards. Quite a few were set off at the FCv Rovers game, a bottle thrown at a player and fans thrown out but not a single court case. Ladies Day has more arrests in a 14,000 crowd than at City all season with over 400,000. No restrictions, or banning orders. It seems Corcoran's only interest is getting Vity fans banned. After the ambush in Lokeren what was the reaction of this so called fans liaison officer? To berate the Belgian police for their uselessness? Oh, no. He offered to stay on and see if he could help the Belgian police identify City fans with a view to getting them banned. I wonder how the investigation into the Mansfield 200 is going?
Fully agree Castro, Corcoran is a complete twat, I notice that at the end of that article that he makes his loaded point:- "We have had no arrests at the KC Stadium since West, which is really great. There are more during away games when people start drinking earlier and make a day of it." Like I said, complete and utter twat.
Good job they didn't get 3 year bans years ago. Craven Park and the Boulevard would both have been empty after the stuff Clive Sullivan had to put up with from both sets of fans.
Presumably, the bloke banned from the kc wasn't a football regular or this would have cropped up before. The club have upheld their obligations, and passed the problem straight back to the society that created it. Is that society taking on its responsibility?
Same applies to any football, cricket or rugby ground across the country, policing these incidents has evolved for the better.
I think they arrested 5 Newcastle United fans on Saturday, none of whom where responsible for the physical attacks on our staff that took place when they couldn't get in the ground because of the automated gates.
the way the police think, they would rather be proactive than reactive, the police have had their funding cut - they cant afford to be using a lot of officers. and yet more cuts to come - expect more of the same, I'm afraid.
Merseyside Police basically had their arse out after the Everton end at the NIGHT game at Anfield last season was policed like a picket line in the 80's and there were scores of complaints leading to a review of their strategy. So they've decided to try and have a pop back. You can now guarantee that they'll be over bearing and seeking confrontation in order to justify their actions here, with a post match 'told you so' There's rarely any bother at all at the derby games, if there's ever an aftermath it's in small pockets in the City centre hours later.
