West Yorkshire Police are encouraging football supporters to keep up the good behaviour at tonight’s match between Leeds United and Millwall.
The Force has adopted high-profile approaches to policing previous fixtures, and recent meetings between the two sides have seen the vast majority of fans behaving impeccably and only very minor incidents of disorder.
Chief Superintendent Mark Milsom is Match Commander for the policing operation of the Category CIR fixture.
Chief Supt Milsom said: “Relations between the two sides seem to have improved recently with very little disorder during their four fixtures last season.
“However, we are aware that there is a small minority of fans who start trouble or look to become involved in it if the opportunity arises, so we are putting in a lot of planning for this fixture to ensure that this improvement continues.”
There will a large policing presence in Elland Road and Leeds city centre throughout the day until the late evening to ensure any issues are dealt with positively.
Chief Supt Milsom said: “There is always the potential for disorder, so we have put plans in place to deal with any problems as they arise. By putting in place these arrangements we aim to ensure the evening passes peacefully and is enjoyed by both sets of fans.”
West Yorkshire Police’s Football Intelligence Unit has secured more banning orders this year than any other police force, and on Monday officers will be adopting a robust approach to gather evidence against anyone involved in disorder to gain Football Banning Orders against them.
“Two of the issues we are conscious of are Millwall fans turning up without a ticket and fans of either club looking to cause disorder in the city or the ground.
“We will always take a robust approach to dealing with football related violence, and will be actively looking to gain banning orders against any fans – Leeds or Millwall – if they become involved in any kind of disorder, because these people spoil the enjoyment for the majority of supporters.”
