UK police brace for soccer brawls

Police are on red alert as the English Championship braces for the renewal of two bitter feuds when Millwall face West Ham and Wolves meet West Brom this weekend.

Leaders West Ham travel to the Den tomorrow for the first “Dockers Derby” against London rivals Millwall in 14 years.

Wolves host fourth-placed West Brom in the Black Country derby on Sunday — two years after their last meeting was marred by a bloody battle in the stands.

Police and stewards line the edge of the pitch after trouble broke out between fans during the English FA Cup fourth-round soccer match between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, England, on Jan. 28, 2024.

Photo: AFP

Millwall and West Ham have an especially gory history, with one supporter of each club killed in sickening clashes in 1976 and 1986.

Those horrific incidents came at the height of the hooliganism era that blighted English soccer.

However, the enmity, born a century ago in London’s docks, has lost none of its ferocity in the past few years.

In 2009, a Millwall supporter was stabbed outside West Ham’s former home at Upton Park before a stormy League Cup tie that culminated in several pitch invasions, prompting then-minister of sports Gerry Sutcliffe to label the incidents “a disgrace to football.”

West Ham were fined ￡115,000 (US$153,000) for failing to prevent their fans entering the pitch, while several supporters were convicted of violent disorder.

Separated by just over 10km across the River Thames, the 100th showdown between the Lions and the Irons would play out against a backdrop of high security across south-east London.

Social media have been rife with threats between rival fans in the build-up to tomorrow’s game.

“We want fans to enjoy the match safely and have worked with both clubs to help this happen,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

“A Section 35 dispersal order will be in place, allowing officers to remove anyone causing disorder,” it said.

Adding to the tension around the fixture, some Millwall fans would be housed in the same stand as the 1,774 West Ham supporters in a sell-out crowd of about 19,000 at the Den.

Strict segregation would be in place to keep the rivals apart.

Millwall have not beaten West Ham since 2004 and Lions boss Alex Neil hopes the hostile atmosphere can help his team stun Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

“It should be a brilliant atmosphere. It means a lot to our fans and everybody connected with both clubs,” Neil said.

Just 24 hours after Millwall face West Ham, an equally explosive clash is to take place in the west midlands.

The first league meeting between Wolves and West Brom in five years comes after a FA Cup tie in 2024 was scarred by crowd trouble. Wolves’ 2-0 win at the Hawthorns two years ago was halted for 38 minutes after fans clashed in the stands, with police assaulted, missiles thrown and flares set off.

There were 43 arrests, with 12 sentenced and five given permanent bans.

In a joint statement, Wolves and Albion said supporters can “expect enhanced stewarding, policing, robust ticketing controls and additional safety measures” on Sunday.

Wolves and Albion emphasized the punishments dished out for the 2024 clashes show “disorder, violence and criminal behavior carry significant consequences and will continue to be dealt with robustly.”

All four clubs will hope the weekend’s derbies pass off far more peacefully than some of their previous encounters.