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Wembley security yesterday

Something I raised earlier in the tournament was the pathetic security arrangements. After the shambles of last night, quite frankly... we do not deserve to host a home tournament in this country  until the security at Wembley is giving a complete overhaul.

When we went to Russia, you had private security,  Fifa volunteers, the police and the military all carrying out proper ticket/person checks on everyone at certain checkpoints. It all went very quickly and without fuss.

The scenes yesterday at Wembley were truly ridiculous, from how easy it was for people to get into the stadium for free to random fights breaking out between stewards and fans. What's the point in collecting the caps now when you can just waltz in un-challenged? It was good to see some honest England fans challenging these free loaders but it shouldn't be their job.

The current security arrangements are not fit for purpose. Something needs to happen.

128 Replies

  • Clarke Buckeridge

    In reply to Graham Morrison:

    What does having a mortgage or kids got to do with anything Graham? Maybe if they did their job properly in the first place they wouldn't have to worry about paying the mortgage. If I was *** at my job I would get sacked and that's the life should be.
  • Chris Power

    In reply to Graham Morrison:

    Our safety is ultimately in their hands, the job they are paid (probably handsomely) to do.
    Last night was dangerous on many levels in and around the stadium through woefully inadequate preparation and reaction to (clear) developing situations.
    *** their mortgage.
  • Stephen Holmes
    I logged on just now to try and find your original thread.....it needs resurrecting.....if we could see how poorly organised things were...why couldn't the FA...the police etc.
  • David needham
    Completely agree with you about yesterday, lots of things could have been done better. Immediately I got off the tube I knew there would be trouble, completely different vibe from Wednesdays game against Denmark. Went to games in Paris in 2016 and security cordons from memory were much further out, snd you had to go through them to get anywhere near the stadiums
  • Roger Clunn

    One of the problem at the stadium is that stewards have replaced Police Officers, cheaper option I guess, and stewards are ill equipped to deal with disorder when it arrises.

  • Graham Morrison

    In reply to Roger Clunn:

    Is it the stewards fault or the mentality and love of football that no other country outside of the uk seems to have when it comes to wanting to be “ there “

    On a normal day more stewards would have been free to do other things but through Covid had to put there time in extra checks
    Surely this falls to head of Uefa for not giving more money to security not security itself
  • Paul Jarvis
    i dont think the ticket on a mobile is the way to go..........to many just snap shoted a ticket then claimed they had one and just blocked up the turnstiles making for a very dangerous situation,but to be honest the checks have been a shambles and it was always going to end in tears
  • John Holland
    I got there for 5.30pm and NHS app failed for everyone at bottom of wembley way steps so that caused chaos for security just letting fans through. I feel for the fans who paid for a ticket who probably didnt even get in because when i looked back up at wembley way it was carnage. To be honest i enjoyed Croatia atmosphere with 22k fans than last night with thousands of idiots.
  • Andy O'Cain
    We entered at the bottom of the steps of Wembley way, I would say 50% of people in the queues had not tickets as you could hear them plotting their way in. To my surprise they just opened the gates and allowed everyone through with no Covid or ticket check. Frustratingly they didn't activate my ticket causing issues at the turnstile which in itself was just a free for all. Once in it was embarrassing to see the amount of scum barging past the stewards and turnstiles for free entry. I feel for us true fans and those that have spent their hard earned money and loyalty to gain their tickets.

    That was bad enough but the groups after the game walking the streets shouting 'we are the Wembley boys' taunting the fans as they left was just as bad.

    The Police, Wembley and UEFA seriously need to have a look at themselves!
  • Roger Clunn

    In reply to Graham Morrison:

    Graham, I am not criticising the stewards I am sure they were doing their best. But when problems start they often do not have the training or the 'powers' of the Police. I'm not convinced more stewards would have stopped people storming the barriers / turnstiles etc. because the perpetrators do not consider attacking or abusing a steward as serious. But doing the same to a Police Officer carries far greater consequences, hence why I prefer to see Police rather than stewards on the front line of crowd control.

    You are of course right when you refer to UEFA not allocating more money for security.
  • Simon Aldred

    In reply to Matthew Isle:

    The first thing I saw when entering Wembley Way (5.30) was a flare being thrown, then a can and further down people dancing on closed memorabilia stores and someone dismantling a traffic light - to cheers!. There were broken bottles everywhere and nitrous oxides canisters. Many of the fans 'celebrating' on Wembley Way were clearly ticketless and the atmosphere was malevolent not celebratory.
    I thought it would be safer once we got through the covid and ticket checks but encountered people trying to jump in on the turnstiles and folk being thrown out who successfully got through and were caught. Stewards I saw really were trying to do their jobs but overwhelmed and under supported.
    Wembley has to change -inside and out - once the covid checks disappear and we go back to paper tickets then access to the turnstiles will be even easier. These yobs will for sure not forget and be back.
  • graham connolly
    We arrived at Wembley at 1530 and it was already out of hand. Huge drunken groups of teenagers throwing bottles everywhere and no policing/security in sight. With such numbers, it would have taken a major operation to restore order and arrangements simply weren't in place. We were fortunate to be in part of the stadium that wasn't directly impacted but our trip in and out was hostile and felt dangerous. I'd taken my teen daughters. I won't take them again.
  • Nigel Pond

    In reply to graham connolly:

    Although they can't be directly blamed for the behaviour of the 20/30 somethings that were the major cause of the trouble, UEFA have to take the lions share of the blame for the totally inadequate ticketing arrangements, pricing.

    Ticketing arrangements - Before the general sale (which only encouraged those with deep pockets to buy a ticket rather than genuine ETSC / ESC fans), tickets should've been offered to ETSC (about 20,000) and then ESC (those with a FAN number / recent purchase history).

    Pricing - UEFA were almost trying to out price the touts!

    On my way, seeing that I couldn't get a mobile signal, I decided to request a printed ticket from the Ticket Office (or whatever it was called) at Wembley Arena. The security was much tighter to get in there, than the stadium!

    Lucky, I had a printed copy of my COVID vaccination record! At 1700, they were refusing entry for anyone who couldn't get a mobile signal / proof of COVID vax / tests / mobile tickets!

    Graham - Don't be dismayed, it's not like that for regular England games. That said, I hope the booing and chaotic scenes is not something that has returned. Since Wembley was rebuilt, fans have generally respected the oppositions' national anthems. Hopefully, order will be restored for the Andorra game in September!
  • Kerry Gillen
    All of the ingredients for a Heysel or Hillsborough situation were there last night.

    Police instructed the stewards to stop the ticket activations and let everyone through. This allowed a large influx of people including the ticketless into an area where they shouldn't be and probably the stewarding were unprepared for .
    The tickets not being activated meant that large amounts of people returned at pace to entrance 1 to get it done. This meant 2 groups of people converging in opposite directions into an area at the top of a set of stairs. An absolute recipe for disaster.

    It was only the fact that some or support sussed that you could double tap the icon yourself to activate the ticket that stopped many more from charging back to entrance 1. There were NO stewards at the turnstiles to instruct this or even say what was going on ie why the turnstiles were closed
  • Graham Morrison

    In reply to Roger Clunn:

    Just clicked on reply to you Roger cos I’m to lazy tired foo ked to scroll up
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