Euro2020 crowd violence
With arrangements facing their first major test since the Euro2020 Final disturbances and the subsequent Casey Report, Brent Council has issued a press release announcing new steps to enforce the street drinking ban in the area surrounding Wembley Stadium. :
A ban on street drinking in the streets around Wembley Stadium will be in force ahead of the Carabao Cup Final, as part of the existing Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).
The no street-drinking zone on Olympic Way and surrounding areas bars people from drinking alcohol in public spaces ahead of the match between Chelsea and Liverpool.
Fans drinking on Olympic Way and the surrounding streets will be asked to hand over their alcohol and enforcement action may be considered.
The move by Brent Council and its partners aims to crack down on anti-social behaviour related to drinking ahead of the game on Sunday 27 February 2022
Cllr Muhammed Butt, Brent Council Leader, said: “The iconic Wembley Stadium has successfully played host to countless memorable and historic events over the years. The vast majority of visitors enjoy themselves responsibly but a minority do not and this new approach targets those people intent on causing disorder after drinking heavily on street.
“There are a number of pubs, fan zones and fantastic restaurants to enjoy in Wembley before the game so there really is no need for anyone to be drinking alcohol on our streets.”
If you are attending the Carabao Cup Final, there are a range of pubs, fan zones and restaurants available to enjoy in Wembley before the game. Please book early to avoid disappointment.
The ban on drinking in public will be enforced by a team of officers from Brent Council, Wembley National Stadium, Wembley Park, The Metropolitan Police Service, Transport for London and the British Transport Police.
A letter has been sent out to licensed businesses in the area that quotes the Casey review on drinking in public spaces near the venue. (Click on image to enlarge) and reminds owners and staff that they should not sell alcohol to anyone who appears likely to drink it on the street.
A local resident remarked to Wembley Matters:
This should be fun to watch........ wonder if its just for Quintain land around the Stadium? Guess the new White Horse Pub won’t be doing a massive trade if they can’t take their drinks outside?
Perhaps the Stadium are desperate for cash and only want fans to drink the lousy beer they sell at grossly inflated prices.
And what happens to the High Road? Liverpool fans are in the West End, so this should be interesting to see if it’s enforced on High Road outside all Off Licences and pubs.
The details and map of the PSPO are below (Click bottom right to enlarge):
It is a big test - will the number of enforcment officers deployed be sufficient to control thousands of fans?
7 comments:
I will definitely be out and about, Camera at the ready to witness how effective this enforcement will play out. I have no doubt it will come as quite a shock to the Liverpool fans who have not visited Wembley for several years. It will be entertaining to watch the local off-licences try and distinguish between local residents wishing to purchase alcohol and fans who may not be easily identifiable if they are not wearing their colours i.e shirts, scarves, face paint or flags.
Alcohol consumption (to excess) during football matches is (regrettably),but predictably,part of the British(sub)culture.
This is exploited by supermarkets and publicans as standard, for their financial benefit.
They may not agree with (for want of a better phrase, ) the “loutish behavior” that is invariably fueled by the copious consumption of alcohol, but there's little they can do about it, other than sending out messages,
such as: "drink responsibly", which of course, is ignored by the so-called “fans” who evidently believe that “getting tanked up” before, and even during the match, makes it more enjoyable.
So, what's the solution to this?
Make the sale of alcohol during major sport events a criminal offense?
I reckon that such a thing would provoke anger not just among football fans, but publicans too.
Why?
Well, because they won't be able to make a profit and that naturally leads to anxiety, frustration, and in some cases, anger, directed at the local authority.
So, what do we do to stop Wembley turning into a scene of civil disorder?
What a laughable attempt to control drunkenness. If it were adhered to the various alcohol sites would make a killing and supporters would have to pay extortionate prices. The biggest losers will be the 'corner' shops that will not be able to sell cans of beer in case they are consumed in the street.
Having said that, there is no chance of enforcing is there?
Why do we need all these corner shops selling booze?
Even on non event days they profit from selling booze to the hundreds of street drinkers we now see in Wembley and the piles of litter and urine stains they leave on our streets and local parks.
Let's hope Brent Council will spend money solving the street drinking problems on non event days too!
I've been to hundreds of football matches, mostly on a weekly basis in the UK and not seen the stereotypical 'football fan behaviour'you describe - the problem with Wembley is that every bit of space has been built on channelling all the fans into a small area.
Our showpiece national stadium should have showpiece grounds surrounding it with properly managed cafes and bars and sufficient public toilets.
Local shops should not be allowed to sell individual football fans a whole case of beer each on event days.
Why do we need all these hundreds of corner shops selling alcohol??? Years ago you could only buy alcohol from licensed premises or a few off licences - now you can buy it anywhere.
Not only do we have football fans and concert goers causing antisocial behaviour, everday we see street drinkers lurking on street corners, in footpaths and our local parks, dumping their cans and bottles everywhere and urinating in public - when are the police and Brent Council enforcement officers going to stop this daily anti-social behaviour??????????
Looks like it worked very well in the end of the day.
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