Blackburn v Burnley

[Jerry St Clair]

Interesting travel arrangments for this one. No independent travel is allowed for Burnley fans; they must all travel from Turf Moor on club coaches in a police escort between 10 and 10:45 this morning. This includes the Burnley season ticket holder who lives 4 minutes walk from the away turnstiles at Ewood Park. He requested dispensdation as he wanted to walk to the ground with his Blackburn-supporting grandad, but was refused. Burnley fans will be inside Ewood nearly 2 hours before kick off.

Now, I understand exactly why they're doing this, but is it actually legal for the police to do this? Isn't it an infringement of civil liberties or something? Do the police obtain some kind of special order from the courts to allow them to be so draconian.

As far as I know, these sort of arrangements only apply to Cardiff/Swansea and Newcastle/Sunderland (though interestingly not Man Utd/Liverpool or any of the plethora of London derbies).

[Chaney]

Bike looks very comfortable in his midfield role, are you watching Coppell?

[Dirk Gently]

Interesting travel arrangments for this one. No independent travel is allowed for Burnley fans; they must all travel from Turf Moor on club coaches in a police escort between 10 and 10:45 this morning. This includes the Burnley season ticket holder who lives 4 minutes walk from the away turnstiles at Ewood Park. He requested dispensdation as he wanted to walk to the ground with his Blackburn-supporting grandad, but was refused. Burnley fans will be inside Ewood nearly 2 hours before kick off.

Now, I understand exactly why they're doing this, but is it actually legal for the police to do this? Isn't it an infringement of civil liberties or something? Do the police obtain some kind of special order from the courts to allow them to be so draconian.

As far as I know, these sort of arrangements only apply to Cardiff/Swansea and Newcastle/Sunderland (though interestingly not Man Utd/Liverpool or any of the plethora of London derbies).

Nope- they're known as "bubble matches" and are getting more and more prevalent as the police catch on to them as a weapon. For Cardiff and Swansea they're regular occurrences, and Cardiff have also had them when they've gone to Stoke and Wolves. Bristol City also had it when they went to Swansea last month, and they boycotted it - only 293 travelled instead of their usual 2000.

See here for more info.

[Deathy]

Burnley and Rovers fans interviewed in the build up to the game both saying it's a friendly rivalry. Seems very OTT, especially the poor Burnley chap that lives within spitting distance of Ewood Park.

[Jerry St Clair]

Bristol City also had it when they went to Swansea last month, and they boycotted it - only 293 travelled instead of their usual 2000.

Isn't that exactly what the police want? Loads of overtime, very few fans to worry about. It's a roundabout way of ensuring away fan-free matches like we saw in the 90s with Newcastle/Sunderland and Cardiff/Swansea.

[Jerry St Clair]

Nope- they're known as "bubble matches" and are getting more and more prevalent as the police catch on to them as a weapon.

But, seriously, it's only a matter of time before Reading get caught up in this. Perhaps the needle match away at Doncaster may be a candidate? I can see the Reading Knitting Squad being herded onto Horseman coaches, having been frisked beforehand to make sure they have the obligatory Thermos flask about their person. They'll be forced into the ground 2 hours before kick off, presumably to dampen their fervour, before sitting on their hands and making absolutely no noise for the rest of the day. Then back on the coaches for a nice cup of tea as they run the gauntlet of notherners looking at them a bit strangely. It's insanity, Dirk, insanity.

[Dirk Gently]

Bristol City also had it when they went to Swansea last month, and they boycotted it - only 293 travelled instead of their usual 2000.

Isn't that exactly what the police want? Loads of overtime, very few fans to worry about. It's a roundabout way of ensuring away fan-free matches like we saw in the 90s with Newcastle/Sunderland and Cardiff/Swansea.

Yep - and of course, when there's no trouble at a match when only 293 away supporters attend, the police can trumpet just how successful their tactics were.

[Dirk Gently]

Nope- they're known as "bubble matches" and are getting more and more prevalent as the police catch on to them as a weapon.

But, seriously, it's only a matter of time before Reading get caught up in this. Perhaps the needle match away at Doncaster may be a candidate? I can see the Reading Knitting Squad being herded onto Horseman coaches, having been frisked beforehand to make sure they have the obligatory Thermos flask about their person. They'll be forced into the ground 2 hours before kick off, presumably to dampen their fervour, before sitting on their hands and making absolutely no noise for the rest of the day. Then back on the coaches for a nice cup of tea as they run the gauntlet of notherners looking at them a bit strangely. It's insanity, Dirk, insanity.

Quite possibly, although the way things are going of late I don't think there'll be coaches required - maybe Horseman need to start hiring out Smart cars.

[Victor Meldrew]

Bike looks very comfortable in his midfield role, are you watching Coppell?

Not as the game went on...he kept trying to play the killer ball but gave it away almost every time.

[rg6royal]

Bikey looked as if he had a good game in the middle today.