'Don't treat me like a criminal': Hull City fan Louis Cooper's crusade over Huddersfield travel
A crusading Hull City fan has been explaining his decision to launch legal action against West Yorkshire Police over the Huddersfield tickets row.
Louis Cooper, 15, has taken the action over travelling restrictions imposed on Tigers' fans for the match.
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Crusading Hull City fan Louis Cooper
The teenager, who lives in Manchester, has instructed solicitors to challenge the police's decision forcing Hull fans to travel on official coaches from the city, regardless of where they live.
Louis, who travels to every Hull City home and away game, said he would have to make a 350-mile round trip to the game when the ground is just 30 miles away from his house.
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He said: "How is it that I am treated like a criminal and have to accept these ridiculous restrictions?
"I have travelled to Beijing to watch Hull City and have done so without restrictions.
"The police have made it impossible for a lot of fans to go to the game.
"This will be the first away game I will miss this season."
The match on March 30 was originally set for 12.30pm, but kick-off has now been changed to 5.20pm because the game is to be televised on Sky Sports.
West Yorkshire Police originally refused permission for the game to be held at this time due to cost of policing and concerns at the prospect of away fans drinking in Huddersfield before the match starts.
They changed their mind when a series of sanctions were agreed, which included the travel restrictions and Hull City being allocated only 1,500 tickets for the Championship clash at the John Smith's Stadium, which can hold up to 4,000 away fans.
Disabled supporters will be allowed to travel to the game independently from Tiger Travel, providing they are accompanied only by their sole carer.
Louis said: "One of my best friends lives in Hull and is disabled so he needs assistance from both his parents and usually stays in a hotel after the game.
"But, unfortunately, West Yorkshire police have only accommodated for people who need help from one person.
"This means my friend cannot attend the game either."
As Louis is under 18, his grandmother Sylvia Rothwell will act as his litigation friend if the case comes to court.
Lochlinn Parker, the solicitor acting for Louis from law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn, said: "Fans like Louis are baffled as to why the police have categorised this game at the highest-risk level and placed restrictions on the free movement of fans.
"We believe the decision is unlawful and will be writing to the police shortly to ask them to drop the restrictions.
"We hope they will but, if not, we will be left with no alternative but to make an application for judicial review of the decision."
The same fixture at the KC Stadium earlier this season passed without incident and last season no Hull City fans was arrested for an alcohol- related offence.
Both Huddersfield and Hull City fans have joined forces in condemning the police's sanctions.
21 Comments
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by Footbtourist
Thursday, February 28 2013, 3:28PM
“Kewtsu your comment is a lie, you have obviously made that up.
Note Libel means Louis can sue you”
by David_Nivea
Sunday, February 24 2013, 3:49PM
“Lazy policing, in the same way the smoking ban was/is lazy law making.”
by kempton
Saturday, February 23 2013, 10:07PM
“Mildred, you know nothing about the subject. The clubs do not request a certain amount of officers. The police tell them what they feel is needed and what they want to charge form locking the game. Hull City paid, or rather had extorted from them, £80,000 for the arrival of 127 Millwall fans. At the KC you see dozens of police lounging about and far from doing anything are a damned nuisance blocking the vomitories whilst they text their mates and making fans have to squeeze between them. If a club has the full number of stewards required they don't need police in the ground, which is why you see 50. 60 and 70,000 crowds with less police than at the K C because Humberside police insist on being In the ground whereas other, more reasonable forces don't. Of course the irony is that on the few occasions the police have been needed, Millwall and Cardiff, they did absolutely nothing and don't manage to arrest a single fan ripping up seats and throwing them.
Less arrests at 46 matches home and away of City fans than one day at Ladies Day at Beverley Races. I would save your pontificating for events that have far worse behaviour than City games yet for some reason the police don't bother about applying restrictions and conditions on.”
by kempton
Saturday, February 23 2013, 9:58PM
“StanThe Man, you are wrong. Huddersfield did not dictate the entry price. The pompous copper responsible told Huddersfield that the only way they would police the game, along with the restrictions on away fans, was that Huddersfield charged the highest category for this game. Don't blame Huddersfield or Anne else other than the Police.”
by NewlandJ
Saturday, February 23 2013, 3:47PM
“Are Huddersfield Town and West Yorkshire Police doing this to all fans of other teams, or have they just took against Hull?
Good luck Louis!”
by stantheman
Saturday, February 23 2013, 3:09PM
“When SKY TV get involved with altering kick off times to suit their programme schedules it is always the fans who are taken for granted. Imagine a live televised match with nobody there?
Then, in the middle of a raging triple dip recession Huddersfield Town and West Yorkshire Police not only decide to charge the highest price possible for this match they also want to dictate how many visiting fans can attend and also want to dictate how they travel to the match.
When they should be dragging people in off the streets.
They should be shaking any Hull City fans by the hand for travelling to Huddersfield on a Bank Holiday tea-time and forking out £30 plus for a ticket especially when they could so easily sit at home in front of the fire and watch the same match on the television.
The world truly has gone mad.”
by saxonking
Saturday, February 23 2013, 3:02PM
“Commendable legal challenge Louis, best of luck and much appreciated by Hull City supporters.”
by Kewstu
Saturday, February 23 2013, 2:19PM
“Makes me laugh on his Facebook page he is an AVID Man CIty fan.”
by spiderboy
Saturday, February 23 2013, 2:17PM
“mildred - get back in yer box luv - the reason were becoming a nation of rugmats is attitudes like yours - im not a serf , im not a member of any lower class , no one with more money or better education is above me , what right do they, the police authority, have to dictate to me, a law abiding citizen , how i can travel ? if i decide to jog there or go on roller skates its my right as granted by the magna carta ,habeus corpus. theres no good reason to basically enforce our captivity to one private company to transport us to a destination and back because a police officer decides its a good idea to keep costs down and have an easy afternoon- its an infringement of our freedom and discrimination against any person wanting to travel to huddersfield and sit in the hull city allocated area. lazy policing .”
by SteveB1234567
Saturday, February 23 2013, 2:10PM
“Well done Louis, and good luck!”