Police compromise in Huddersfield v Hull City tickets row
West Yorkshire Police have agreed to a compromise in the Huddersfield v Hull City travel row.
The Tigers' ticket allocation for the match at the John Smith's Stadium on March 30 will be raised from 1,500 to 1,700.
-
Hull City fans will be allowed to travel independently to services near Huddersfield.
Supporters will be allowed to travel independently to Hartshead Moor Services on the M62.
Free parking will be provided at the services and fans will travel to the ground on buses put on by City.
CAR KEYS AND REMOTES "FREE REMOTE KEY FOB BATTERY" 01482 423414 ...
Peace Of Mind Security Hull Ltd/Hull Car Keys
View details
FOR ALL YOUR CAR KEY NEEDS CALL US NOW ON
01482 423414
SNAPPED KEYS, LOST KEYS, KEYS LOCKED IN VEHICLES,
EXTRA KEYS
WE ALSO REPAIR 90% OF ALL REMOTES AND KEYS, NO FIX NO CHARGE.
Terms: FREE REMOTE KEY FOB BATTERY ONE PER CUSTOMER
Contact: 01482 423414
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
And arrangements will be made for City fans who live in Huddersfield and for those who have already bought train tickets.
The visit to Huddersfield was originally scheduled for 12.30pm on Saturday, March 30.
Problems began when Sky requested kick-off be put back to 5.20pm to allow the game to be broadcast live.
West Yorkshire Police agreed to the move on condition City fans were allocated just 1,500 tickets and travelled only on official coaches from Hull.
But the sanctions drew widespread criticism from fans of both clubs, football supporters' bodies and politicians.
The restrictions led to a legal challenge on behalf of teenage supporter Louis Cooper, who was facing a 300-mile round trip to watch the game despite living just 30 miles from Huddersfield.
In a statement released this evening, West Yorkshire Police's Assistant Chief Constable Craig Guildford, said: "We have listened carefully to the concerns of fans and those who have raised concerns on their behalf.
"We have worked together collectively in modifying the transport arrangements which will promote safety in line with our collective responsibilities.
"Suggestions have been made which we have discussed in detail and incorporated into the policing plan.
"Consequently the transport arrangements have been modified to facilitate free parking in West Yorkshire for fans wishing to travel independently.
"This will be at the Hartshead Moor services between junctions 25 and 26 of the M62 and will be stewarded by Hull City officials who have agreed to provide tickets at the services on the day to Hull City fans who reside outside the area.
"Once they have collected their tickets, those fans will be taken to the ground on buses provided by Hull City.
"Local arrangements will be made to accommodate a small number of Hull fans who live in Huddersfield and for those who have already purchased train tickets.
"As before, disabled fans will be able to make the normal travel arrangements they would make for any game with the normal level of support and assistance.
"We continue to work closely with both Huddersfield Town and Hull City with who we have had productive and supportive talks this week."
"Throughout this process we have endeavoured to balance flexibility with the safety risks West Yorkshire Police have associated with this fixture.
"This match is taking place during the busy Easter weekend and the Police have a responsibility to ensure safety on the day for football supporters and other members of the public in the Huddersfield area including those who live, work and visit the town centre."
In the statement, Hull City said the solution "was not ideal" for the club or its fans but was "the most practical and safest solution available to ensure that the team enjoys its usual travelling support in an important game".
However, the club dismissed police concerns that an evening fixture would increase the likelihood of disorder.
"Hull City believes its travelling support is overwhelmingly well-behaved and good-humoured, and doesn’t pose any material risk of this nature," it said.
East Hull MP Karl Turner, who had criticised the police sanctions, said the compromise was not ideal but was "much better than the original situation".
He called for discussions with the Football Association and the Home Office on the future of policing in football.
West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson, said: "I am pleased everyone involved in this process has worked constructively to allow us to find an accommodation, while keeping safeguards to ensure wider safety."
• Tickets will go on sale to season pass-holders on Monday, March 11.
• Fans with "special circumstances" should contact the Hull City ticket office on 01482 505600, between Monday and Thursday next week.
• Tiger Travel will depart from the KC Stadium, and will stop at Goole and Ferrybridge services en route to the rendezvous point at Hartshead Moor.
37 Comments
View all
by Hull47
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 1:13AM
“How dare the Police dictate the movements of the peoples of our country wishing to follow a sport they love? the Police are there to serve us arnt they, As for the cost of Policing, the games are way over policed anyway, and when the occasional fracas occurs they are nowhere to be found ! Have the Police issued the same dictatorship to other clubs in the country?”
by Footbtourist
Sunday, March 03 2013, 11:42PM
“I have seen some bad reporting but this is incredible.
200 extra tickets and still having to be bussed in and out like criminals. WYP have insulted citizens of HULL and it is clear those that should have been strong on our behalf have rolled over and been told exactly what to do by a police force upset it was on the wrong end of a funding row. Football pays for policing many times over yet as soon as judge Eady cut their overtime now they can't police anything without resorting to this? HDM get working on the REAL story, get behind the fans and mount a campaign to these draconian measures and slur on the people of hull lifted. Back to category A nothing less. Local papers should campaign on local issues!
Police get paid loads of time to do nowt at football and now WYP have mugged everyone into their Easter overtime bonanza plan”
by ReserveNo3
Sunday, March 03 2013, 10:55AM
“Hypothetical question ... are Huddersfield fans living in Hull subject to the same restrictions?
If not sounds a bit like apartheid from the 60's”
by Squaggles
Saturday, March 02 2013, 12:14PM
“@penniner
Do you mean the Football Supporters Federation ? A fans group which campaigns for fans and has actually been helping with this ??
http://tinyurl.com/2gekym”
by saxonking
Saturday, March 02 2013, 10:21AM
“The fans are very united on this, a complete boycott unless restrictions are lifted, the club should return the tickets as the fans groups are requesting.
Fans not criminals.”
by tiggerjack
Saturday, March 02 2013, 9:24AM
“If as suggested people boycott the game, the n the police have won. Shimples!!! They can't be bothered having to police the game anyway, so the less fans that turn up the less work they have to do.
You only have to look back in time to see how useless the WYP really are. How many bungles was there in the yorkshire ripper case. All due to incompetence of one said police force which could have spared at least 3 womens lives.
The best thing would be just to turn up en masse. They cant arrest you for being in a Public street especially if there was say 1000 city fans without tickets there.
Surely they would have to put them said protesting fans somewhere. Hmmmmmmm 2300 spare seats in the away end.”
by valencian
Saturday, March 02 2013, 9:15AM
“Acting within the law? What law states it is an offence to travel to a football match on a train. What law gives them the right to restrict the numbers attending we have room for 4000 yet we can only take less than half what law allows that? There is no police intelligence (I knew I could get those two words in the same sentence) to suggest any trouble. What next will they limit the number of people shopping in Tesco to reduce shoplifting. Have the cinemas half empty incase they run out of popcorn which may causes a riot. What about having a permit system on the M62 so only those with a clean licence can drive and therefore have fewer accidents. You may think these things stupid and perhaps they are but a couple of weeks ago I would have placed these restrictions in that catagory.”
by archieboden
Saturday, March 02 2013, 7:15AM
“The police are acting within the law wth professional judgement. What next do yuo all want to stand during the game?”
by doch25
Saturday, March 02 2013, 12:52AM
“Totally agree with YorkshireMike.
As for Jestbral, we go to watch football matches but unfortunately people like you are normally the cause of these situations. Complaining about football supporters, what about rugby, horse racing, ice hockey,boxing... should all spectators of all sports have to go through this to simply watch a live event? What about all the music festivals, with more drink and drugs than any football match, restrict travel their too?
Is your idea to stop any crowds anywhere just in case..... Where do you want to stop?
The deal is not a compromise, simply 200 more tickets and they moved the restriction of travel from Hull to a car park on the M62 is an insult. Its 2013 not the 1970's, oh and in case you forgot, who have now been held responsible for the largest loss of life at a football ground in recent memory, the police.”
by YorkshireMike
Friday, March 01 2013, 11:55PM
“This is not a compromise - just a very slighty less drachonian stance by an incompetent police force who appear to be acting beyond what the law allows and seem hell bent on contravening two basic human rights - freedom of movement and the right of association.
I personally believe that the match should be boycoted by us and the home crowd unless these arbitary police measures are withdrawn”