- Admin
- #1
We were invited to take part in a conference call yesterday evening set up by the Metropolitan Police and Sheffield United, with parties attending the call from the Met, British Transport Police, Wembley Stadium, The Football Supporters Federation, Arsenal, Wigan Athletic and Hull City.
Ourselves and colleagues from other fans groups were kindly accommodated by Sheffield United, with various club officials also participating in the call along with a representative of South Yorkshire Police.
The intention was to provide information prior to this weekend's events and offer the opportunity for the clubs and fans groups to ask any questions they may have.
From a policing point of view, the message was very much that they will be covering both matches in sufficient numbers, but don't expect a high risk of disorder. It was very much encouraged that supporters with any questions or concerns approach the police on the ground who will be happy to help.
Rather than repeat verbatim the entire call, I'll address some key questions and points, if you have any other questions, ask away in here and if I can answer, I will.
16.07 Kick Off and Minutes Silence:
A quick reminder to all, that the match will kick off at 16:07 as a mark of respect for the Hillsborough victims.
There will also be a minutes silence between 16:06 and 16:07, the stewards and Wembley staff have been instructed to pass on information about this.
Licensed Premises and Alcohol:
The Met were keen to point out that they weren't in the business of forcing supporters to go certain places. They've found historically that making suggestions based upon the side of the ground supporters will be located helps fans to enjoy the day and licensees to better manage their venues on the day.
For these reasons, Blades fans have been allocated the following venues in the Wembley area:
The Green Man - Dagmar Avenue, Wembley, HA9 8DF
Blue Room - 53 Wembley Hill Road, Wembley, HA9 8BE
JJ Moons - 397 High Road, Wembley, HA9 7DT
Thirsty Eddie’s - 412 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AH
Flannery’s - 610 High Road, Wembley, HA0 2AF
Mannions - 313 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA9 6BA
The Copper Jug - 10 The Broadway, Wembley, HA9 8JU
Fusilier - 652 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA0 2HA
Powerleague - Olympic Way, Wembley
Venues in the Wembley area and areas further afield that fans tend to visit (e.g. Baker Street) will be choosing to close 1 hour before kick off. Supporters are encouraged to leave plenty of time to make their way to the stadium. Venues will also be closed after the match.
Any person who is deemed to be drunk will not be permitted access to Wembley Stadium.
Licensed premises in the area will not be allowed to show the match on tv and supporters without tickets are advised against travelling to the Wembley area.
Supporters are reminded that the area around the stadium is designated a controlled drinking zone, the consumption of alcohol in this area is not permitted and it is an offence to have an open can in the area.
Alcohol is also not permitted on public transport travelling to Wembley and this ban will be actively enforced at Baker Street and other relevant stations.
Flags, Smoking, Pyro, Smoke Bombs etc
Flags will be permitted into Wembley Stadium, but obstruction of gangways, access routes, exits, signage and stairways is strictly forbidden.
Flags more than 250cm at their longest section will not be allowed, flagpoles greater than 1m in length will not be allowed.
Large flags must be flame retardant and have the accompanying certification, smaller flags are permitted without certification.
Any Pyrotechnics and smoke bombs are *strictly* prohibited in and around Wembley and anyone found in possession of such items WILL be arrested. There will be NO amnesty bins.
Wembley Stadium is strictly a no smoking stadium, which includes E-cigarettes and Vapour Cigarettes.
Public Transport
Being a busy weekend as regards events in London, no engineering works are planned on the underground service.
With the London Marathon on the Sunday, stations in the central and eastern areas are expected to be busy and the likes of St James' Park, Charing Cross and Westminster stations are expected to be congested. Supporters are encouraged to visit the London Marathon website for information - http://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com
Information can also be found on the Transport for London website - tfl.gov.uk/marathon
The northern side of London is expected to be fairly busy as usual, but should be relatively unaffected by the extra strain of the Marathon crowds.
We were advised that the outer stations people would likely use for parking at would likely be at their normal levels of usage.
It's worth a quick reminder in here that there is a ban on alcohol on public transport and this will be actively enforced at a number of stations including Baker Street.
Coaches:
There are in excess of 150 coaches leaving Sheffield on Sunday.
There are 38 official supporters coaches leaving Bramall Lane, supporters are advised to arrive early to ensure a prompt departure.
Supporters already booked on coaches will have their coach number, the coaches will be in the following positions:
1 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
2 Ross Travel Cherry Street
3 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
4 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
5 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
6 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
7 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
8 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
9 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
10 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
11 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
12 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
13 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
14 Harry Shaw Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
15 Harry Shaw Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
16 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
17 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
18 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
19 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
20 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
21 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
22 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
23 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
24 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
25 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
26 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
27 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
28 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
29 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
30 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
31 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
32 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
33 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
34 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
35 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
36 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
37 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
38 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
The Blades superstore will be open from 6.30am until 8.00am, as will the Platinum Suite for refreshments.
The car park will be closed to accommodate the coaches.
The coaches are planned to stop at the following services on the way down:
Coaches 1 - 15 - Stotts, Ross, York Pullman and Harry Shaw are stopping at Watford Gap
Coaches 16 - 27 - Leons of Stafford, are stopping at Northampton
Coaches 28 - 38 - Silverdales of Nottingham, are stopping at Newport Pagnall
General:
The following document has been put together by Wembley Stadium to assist Blades fans in planning their journey to and from the Stadium for Sunday's semi-final - Wembley Travel Plan (pdf)
Supporters are also encouraged to follow the relevant parties via social media -
Twitter accounts:
Met Police Football Unit - @MPSFootballUnit
TFL Travel Alerts - @TflTravelAlerts
British Transport Police - @btp_uk
Wembley Stadium - @wembleystadium
Football Supporters Federation - @FSF_FairCop
Wembley Stadium also have a wealth of information on their website - http://www.wembleystadium.com/
Ourselves and colleagues from other fans groups were kindly accommodated by Sheffield United, with various club officials also participating in the call along with a representative of South Yorkshire Police.
The intention was to provide information prior to this weekend's events and offer the opportunity for the clubs and fans groups to ask any questions they may have.
From a policing point of view, the message was very much that they will be covering both matches in sufficient numbers, but don't expect a high risk of disorder. It was very much encouraged that supporters with any questions or concerns approach the police on the ground who will be happy to help.
Rather than repeat verbatim the entire call, I'll address some key questions and points, if you have any other questions, ask away in here and if I can answer, I will.
16.07 Kick Off and Minutes Silence:
A quick reminder to all, that the match will kick off at 16:07 as a mark of respect for the Hillsborough victims.
There will also be a minutes silence between 16:06 and 16:07, the stewards and Wembley staff have been instructed to pass on information about this.
Licensed Premises and Alcohol:
The Met were keen to point out that they weren't in the business of forcing supporters to go certain places. They've found historically that making suggestions based upon the side of the ground supporters will be located helps fans to enjoy the day and licensees to better manage their venues on the day.
For these reasons, Blades fans have been allocated the following venues in the Wembley area:
The Green Man - Dagmar Avenue, Wembley, HA9 8DF
Blue Room - 53 Wembley Hill Road, Wembley, HA9 8BE
JJ Moons - 397 High Road, Wembley, HA9 7DT
Thirsty Eddie’s - 412 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AH
Flannery’s - 610 High Road, Wembley, HA0 2AF
Mannions - 313 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA9 6BA
The Copper Jug - 10 The Broadway, Wembley, HA9 8JU
Fusilier - 652 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA0 2HA
Powerleague - Olympic Way, Wembley
Venues in the Wembley area and areas further afield that fans tend to visit (e.g. Baker Street) will be choosing to close 1 hour before kick off. Supporters are encouraged to leave plenty of time to make their way to the stadium. Venues will also be closed after the match.
Any person who is deemed to be drunk will not be permitted access to Wembley Stadium.
Licensed premises in the area will not be allowed to show the match on tv and supporters without tickets are advised against travelling to the Wembley area.
Supporters are reminded that the area around the stadium is designated a controlled drinking zone, the consumption of alcohol in this area is not permitted and it is an offence to have an open can in the area.
Alcohol is also not permitted on public transport travelling to Wembley and this ban will be actively enforced at Baker Street and other relevant stations.
Flags, Smoking, Pyro, Smoke Bombs etc
Flags will be permitted into Wembley Stadium, but obstruction of gangways, access routes, exits, signage and stairways is strictly forbidden.
Flags more than 250cm at their longest section will not be allowed, flagpoles greater than 1m in length will not be allowed.
Large flags must be flame retardant and have the accompanying certification, smaller flags are permitted without certification.
Any Pyrotechnics and smoke bombs are *strictly* prohibited in and around Wembley and anyone found in possession of such items WILL be arrested. There will be NO amnesty bins.
Wembley Stadium is strictly a no smoking stadium, which includes E-cigarettes and Vapour Cigarettes.
Public Transport
Being a busy weekend as regards events in London, no engineering works are planned on the underground service.
With the London Marathon on the Sunday, stations in the central and eastern areas are expected to be busy and the likes of St James' Park, Charing Cross and Westminster stations are expected to be congested. Supporters are encouraged to visit the London Marathon website for information - http://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com
Information can also be found on the Transport for London website - tfl.gov.uk/marathon
The northern side of London is expected to be fairly busy as usual, but should be relatively unaffected by the extra strain of the Marathon crowds.
We were advised that the outer stations people would likely use for parking at would likely be at their normal levels of usage.
It's worth a quick reminder in here that there is a ban on alcohol on public transport and this will be actively enforced at a number of stations including Baker Street.
Coaches:
There are in excess of 150 coaches leaving Sheffield on Sunday.
There are 38 official supporters coaches leaving Bramall Lane, supporters are advised to arrive early to ensure a prompt departure.
Supporters already booked on coaches will have their coach number, the coaches will be in the following positions:
1 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
2 Ross Travel Cherry Street
3 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
4 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
5 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
6 Stotts Shoreham Street - Behind the Kop
7 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
8 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
9 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
10 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
11 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
12 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
13 York Pullman Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
14 Harry Shaw Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
15 Harry Shaw Bramall Lane - Behind the BL Stand
16 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
17 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
18 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
19 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
20 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
21 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
22 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
23 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
24 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
25 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
26 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
27 Leons Travel Main Car Park - Cherry Street
28 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
29 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
30 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
31 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
32 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
33 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
34 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
35 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
36 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
37 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
38 Silverdale Main Car Park - Cherry Street
The Blades superstore will be open from 6.30am until 8.00am, as will the Platinum Suite for refreshments.
The car park will be closed to accommodate the coaches.
The coaches are planned to stop at the following services on the way down:
Coaches 1 - 15 - Stotts, Ross, York Pullman and Harry Shaw are stopping at Watford Gap
Coaches 16 - 27 - Leons of Stafford, are stopping at Northampton
Coaches 28 - 38 - Silverdales of Nottingham, are stopping at Newport Pagnall
General:
The following document has been put together by Wembley Stadium to assist Blades fans in planning their journey to and from the Stadium for Sunday's semi-final - Wembley Travel Plan (pdf)
Supporters are also encouraged to follow the relevant parties via social media -
Twitter accounts:
Met Police Football Unit - @MPSFootballUnit
TFL Travel Alerts - @TflTravelAlerts
British Transport Police - @btp_uk
Wembley Stadium - @wembleystadium
Football Supporters Federation - @FSF_FairCop
Wembley Stadium also have a wealth of information on their website - http://www.wembleystadium.com/
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