Same lad just sent this to SYP.
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Good Morning
I hope you’re well.
I’ve just discovered from Sunderland AFC, via Northumbria Police, that no bars/pubs in Rotherham will allow away fans in, on Saturday 30 October 2021.
Is it possible to obtain a reason behind this please? I’ve made arrangements, many weeks ago and have booked all of my non refundable train travel, around arriving in Rotherham early on the Saturday morning to make a day of it. I’m now faced with a real problem as a large number of my group are very unhappy and are unsure as to what we can do now, as we’ll be in Rotherham from about 10am with nothing to do and I sincerely hope that trouble doesn’t arise as a result.
This is the first occasion that I’ve known of restrictions to be placed on Sunderland supporters for a normal league game (ie excluding fixtures v Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, which I totally understand and support) in over 15 years of travelling away to watch Sunderland.
Is this a result of poor behaviour from Sunderland supporters historically, is there intelligence that Sunderland supporters are planning to cause disorder at this particular fixture or are Sunderland supporters being discriminated against?
Please provide me with an update as I feel deeply upset and offended by this action by your force.
Please advise which areas in the South Yorkshire Police force area you’d like the 2,500 Sunderland supporters to drink pre game, as at present, from the people I’ve spoken to the consensus appears to be to take drink with them and simply drink in parks, streets etc which I firmly believe will cause a significant increase in the potential for serious disorder as a direct result of the actions of South Yorkshire Police.
Please arrange for the Chief Constable, of South Yorkshire Police, to provide an explanation to me in writing within 7 days.
Thank you