Troublemakers warned as "big policing operation" planned for Portsmouth v Southampton
Officers from outside the county are being drafted in for the showdown
Police have warned potential troublemakers they won’t hesitate to “step in” and act as Pompey travel to play Saints on Sunday.
Hampshire police has drafted in officers from other regions as the force prepares for a “big policing operation” at St Mary’s stadium for the midday kick-off.
Last season’s first league fixture between the bitter rivals in 13 years cost police £200,000 - with the force pleased the match passed without any major disruption.
In total, last season’s fixtures saw 21 people appear in court for a variety of offences, such as throwing missiles, pitch invasion and criminal damage. It led to fines totalling more than £10,000 being issued and Football Banning Orders totalling 61 years handed out.
As with last season, Portsmouth fans will be escorted by police straight to the stadium to prevent the opportunity of clashes between rival fans. No road closures - including for the M27 - will be in place.
Assistant chief constable Simon Dodds, gold commander for the policing operation, said “learnings” had been taken from the previous two fixtures as officers continue to “working closely with the clubs so fans can enjoy a safe game”.
He told The News: “From a policing perspective we’re really proud (of last season). Officers did really well in terms of the objective of keeping people safe and we were able to work closely with the clubs to make the day enjoyable for the fans.
“Ultimately we know it’s a really exciting fixture for them and they just want to get there and enjoy the competitive rivalry between the two sets of fans and hopefully have an enjoyable game but one where everyone gets home safely.
“The vast majority are coming to enjoy a football match and it’s really important to remember that. We are very much there to reassure and engage. A lot of people last time said how they felt safe to bring their families and children to the games. That’s the thing that drives us in terms of making the day safe for everyone.”
But the officer admitted they are prepared for any trouble and will deploy tactics not visible but which will help to keep people safe and prevent disorder. “There will always be a small minority who see it as an opportunity to engage in disorder and commit offences,” the assistant chief constable said.
“If people are going to do something that jeopardises safety we will be there to step in to take action. The police operation is resourced to do so if people are going to have a moment of madness or put safety at risk.
“It’s a club led operation and the police role is one of supporting them. The clubs have elected for a managed travel approach. We will be supporting the clubs by taking fans to the ground and then at the end of the game help the coaches get out of the town in a way that minimises the opportunity for people who might engage in disorder.”
ACC Dodds would not say how many officers are being deployed “as it gives an idea of police tactics” but said “we’re really confident the numbers we’ve got are sufficient against the risk”.
He added: “Operations like this are big policing operations and therefore we make sure we’ve got the resources so we can deal with day to day policing but then also have the support of other officers to help with the operation. We will be using colleagues from around the region in support of the operation.”
The officer also would not reveal policing costs for the match “as it gives an idea of what the policing operation may look like” but said spending money on “preventative” policing saves a lot of public money compared to the fallout from significant incidents such as at Fratton Park in 2019.
“In 2019 there was significant disorder at Fratton Park around Goldsmith Avenue and the cost of the post match investigation, putting people through the court processes and custodial sentences that followed are well in excess of the upfront policing operation which is important to consider,” he said.
“When you look at the cost of these operations, that preventative side would be significantly less than it would be if we ended up with the sort of disorder we saw in 2019.
“This is definitely a big operation for policing. We did two derby fixtures last season and we have big events in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight all the time so there's a lot of events where we are used to mobilising lots of police officers to try to keep our communities safe.”
ACC Dodds did not say whether he thought either of Fratton Park or St Mary’s matches were harder to police, with them both “bringing their unique challenges”.
The managed travel approach “still feels the most proportionate way to deliver that outcome for people to enjoy the game but do it in an enjoyable and safe environment”, he added.
Meanwhile there is no plan to close any roads or the M27 with “people able to use the road network as they usually would on a Sunday”. He explained: “The nature of coach convoys is that occasionally we’ll hold traffic lights at junctions just to get coaches through so they can turn up in a way that is easy and quick to disembark rather than turning up in dribs and drabs.”
ACC Dodds added: ““Sadly, as we saw last season, there will always be some people who think the rules don’t apply to them.
“I would urge those people to really think hard about whether that brief moment on match day is really worth the serious consequences they’ll be facing long after the final whistle has blown.
“Last season we saw 21 people appear in court for a variety of offences, such as throwing missiles, pitch invasion and criminal damage.
“Not only did they have to deal with the humiliation of appearing in court, which can have a real impact on home and work life, but they were also left with large fines to pay and banned from going to games for up to five years.
“Public safety will always remain our priority and we will take action again if it is needed. So yes, be passionate and make your club proud, but don’t make a decision that will see you in court.”