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As the big Fulham Derby match approaches and over 5,000 Brentford fans prepare for a trip up-stream to Craven Cottage, a word of caution has been issued by the authorities for fans in attendance.

Behave yourselves.

The match has been designated a high risk ‘Category C’ game by the Met Police. Events from recent history has led to a number of additional measures being put into place to ensure that the day goes off peacefully.

Is this paranoia?

Or could this game have all the hallmarks of a return to the bad olde days of old?

Last season, fans from both clubs were rather disappointed with the lack of communication surrounding the Fulham away match. This mainly revolved around the chinese-whispers going around on the day saying certain pubs were not allowing a certain set of fans in and other rumours saying certain pubs were closed.

So this season, Beesotted, along with a number of other supporters organisations from Fulham and Brentford, were invited to Craven Cottage for a fans-authorities liaison meeting.

Fair play to the Met Police in responding positively by calling this meeting so that both fans and the authorities could air any grievances they might have. At the same time, they could also use the meeting to relay any important match day information.

So before I rant on, below is a list of the pubs designated to home and away fans on Saturday. If a pub is not mentioned here, presume that it is a neutral pub. There are no plans for any pub to close after the match.

Brentford only pubs

The Kings Arms
The Temperance
The Eight Bells
The Dukes Head

Fulham only pubs

The Crabtree
The Durrell Arms
The Golden Lion
Zulu Bar
The Railway
The Fox

Closed
The Rocket

No Football Fans
Star & Garter

So back to the meeting.

Whereas the police were very open, if not slightly uncomfortably forthright, about the steps they were taking to keep everyone safe on the day, what worried me more were the thoughts of Eddie Simpson the Fulham Head of Safety and Security and how he felt was the best way to deal with away fans.

Whereas I fully accept that Mr Simpson hasn’t got the easiest job – balancing between keeping his SW6 brigade happy and the other football fans in the ground – I believe that the approach one takes in dealing with these issue is crucial in ensuring you maintain a happy medium.

I would like to emphasise, this is not a personal attack on the Fulham Safety Officer. But more to the point highlights the problem we still have in football in general in trying to keep everyone happy and shows there is still much work to be done.

Football fans for years have been used to being tarred with the same brush as a minority of trouble-makers. More recently, both the police and football authorities have come to the understanding that you get what you give. And by taking a slightly more humane approach with football fans, you will get better behaviour in return.

Fulham apparently has one of the highest ejection rates in the whole of London (if not the Football League). After attending this meeting, I now know why.

Are away fans any worse behaved at Fulham than anywhere else?

As fans, we all know there are rules and regulations everywhere you go. However, Fulham seem to have a completely inflexible approach to the way they deal with fans (in particular away fans), intent on making it very clear that no-one will infringe what they believe is the right and only way to do things. And if you do (no matter how small it seems), you will be reprimanded accordingly.

And in an age where Football League clubs are trying to get more fans through the turnstiles, I simply don’t get where this hard-nosed, unsympathetic, completely non customer-orientated attitude will get clubs.

The concept that away fans don’t matter to certain football clubs – as they will travel to the match anyway no matter how you treat them – has resulted in two schemes being launched by the Football Supporters Federation.

There is the “Away Fans Matter” scheme and also the very soon-to-be-launched “Football League Away Fans Excellence Awards” – both centered around trying to make clubs more hospitable to their away following.

So now you all know the background to the meeting, lets get to the crux of what we can and can’t do on the day:

  • Arrive early. Be alert. Not alarmed (that’s the catchphrase the police are using)
  • Very thorough searching (with metal detectors) as you enter the stadium
  • Try not to bring bags. Oversize bags may go to left luggage.
  • Sniffer dogs will be in and around the stadium. Be warned that these dogs also can sniff drugs and pyro. Police have told for fans to be aware of this
  • Large flags not allowed. Smaller flags need a fire certificate and can go up on the rear wall of stand as long as they don’t block signange
  • Anyone drunk while trying to enter the stadium runs the risk of arrest
  • The bar within the stadium will be closed at any time IF Fulham feel uncomfortable with the behaviour of the fans
  • You HAVE to sit in your allocated seat so (and I quote) “the club can track you and know exactly where you are at any particular time” (which we found to be very bizarre … and in reality, is never going to work)
  • Although the away end holds 7000 fans, Fulham have decided to cordon off the remaining 2,000 seats in blocks P1 and P2 to hem in the 5,000 away fans to ensure there is ‘no wandering’ as apparently fan-wandering is a heinous crime in SW6. When we pointed out that extra seating would actually relieve that age old all-seater stadium problem of fans spending half the match trying to group together with like-minded fans (or even their mates), that idea was dismissed immediately
  • Fans will be ejected for persistent standing in the aisles
  • Fans may be ejected for standing (although they admitted that ejecting 5,000 people could be a problem)
  • Fans will be ejected for using racist and/or homophobic language (fair enough we say)
  • Outside the ground the police have legislation in place to ban anyone from coming within 2 miles of Craven Cottage if they are assessed to potentially be involved in anti-social behaviour
  • It’s illegal to drink in the street on the Fulham side of the Putney Bridge but it’s OK to drink in the street on the Putney side of Putney Bridge
  • There will be more than likely be a cordon on Stevenage Road after the match restricting which way fans can leave the ground. Brentford fans will be guided South once again towards the Putney. Whereas, Fulham fans will be sent North towards Hammersmith
  • British Transport Police have a national “BTP Red Day” (nothing to do with football) which means possible dry trains and ticket checks at all stations and on trains

All in all, fans from both sides are just looking to have a cracking day out on Saturday no matter what.

As was shown with the recent relaxed attitude at recent QPR derby (no fan movement restrictions, no home and away fan pub restrictions), common sense does prevail when policing big matches.

Fans want to be treated with a bit of respect. Not with constant suspicion. And removing the tension and paranoia in and around the match really helps to maintain a good atmosphere amongst the fans.

Despite the positive change in attitude around some matches, there is obviously still work has to be done to get a certain set of football clubs thinking creatively on how THEY can make fans, who spend good money in and around their stadium, enjoy their day out.

What is essential is that these authorities actually understand and acknowledge fan culture as opposed to dismissing it and making out its irrelevant.

Only then will they be able to come up with suitable strategies that will work both for the fans and the club and ensures that everyone has a good day out.

To get updates on activity on Derby Day, follow @Beesotted and also @MPSFootballUnit on twitter

Billy Grant
@BillyTheBee99