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Police aim to prevent clashes between Manchester United and Manchester City fans
Greater Manchester Police are to increase patrols and impose a two-mile alcohol exclusion zone from Manchester city centre to Eastlands on Wednesday in an attempt to prevent violence marring the game between City and United.
Although police confiscated items such as darts and golf balls from supporters ahead of January’s Carling Cup semi-final first leg between the teams at Eastlands, they are understood to have received no intelligence indicating that trouble is planned by rival supporters on this occasion.
Both clubs were warned by the police and the Football Association not to inflame tensions in the build-up to last season’s Carling Cup second leg at Old Trafford and that game passed off peacefully.
But with on-field rivalry escalating between the two clubs, and less than a month passing since Wayne Rooney’s contract stand-off with United led to suggestions that he was ready to move to City – a transfer that would have been considered as betrayal by United fans – tensions are high among both sets of supporters.
Supt Jim Liggett, the police’s commanding officer for Wednesday’s game, said: “I don’t think we have had a derby in recent years with both teams almost neck and neck. It’s a high-profile match, but one we are experienced in dealing with.”
United will have only 2,562 supporters at Eastlands because there is a 10 per cent cut in the usual 2,846 allocation as a result of persistent standing in seated areas during recent fixtures.