The meeting of Europa League will be played Thursday, at 7 p.m., at the Pierre Mauroy de Villeneuve-d'Ascq Stadium. But the thousands of English fans will start to flock in the morning, in particular to Lille. The authorities are on the alert. The prefecture took this Tuesday two orders prohibiting, the day of the game, groups of supporters without tickets and take-away sales of alcohol and consumption of liquor on the public highway. Hundreds of police will be mobilized.
February 17, 2011, before the LOSC - PSV Eindhoven match, many Dutch fans had been drinking alcohol for hours in the Centre of Lille. Incidents broke then. The prefect recalled these events in the orders he took Tuesday. PHOTO PHILIPPE PALMER ARCHIVES
The LOSC-Everton match, Thursday, will take place under surveillance. According to the prefecture, 7 500 English fans are expected. Most of them will come by bus. Others will move on their own (car, train...), including about 500 people, considers the prefecture, without tickets for the meeting. This influx will begin in the morning of the match, especially in the Centre of Lille. Everton fans will wait several hours opening, starting at 5 p.m., the Pierre Mauroy Stadium doors. The kick-off of the part will be given at 7 pm. This long wait worries prefecture. "It is conducive to an individuals excessive alcohol and cause problems with local residents and supporters of the LOSC."
The authorities want to avoid reliving the accident scenario the day of the LOSC-PSV Eindhoven match, in February 2011 (our photo). Many Dutch fans had descended from beers in the Centre of Lille, terraces or in the street for hours. Violence then broke out on the Grand-Place and the pedestrian streets.
Two orders
To prevent spillage, the prefect took two orders on Tuesday. The first prohibits any gathering of supporters of Everton or the LOSC without tickets for the game. The measure will be valid from 10 h to 17 h, Thursday, at Lille, Mons-en-Barœul, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, Lezennes and Ronchin. The second order prohibits the sale of alcohol take away as well as the possession and consumption of liquor on the public highway. This provision will be applicable on Thursday, from 10 h to 22 h, in the municipalities of Lezennes, Ronchin, Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq.
On the ground, a large-scale police device will be deployed, mainly in Lille and Pierre Mauroy stadium or its surroundings. The precise mobilized agents number is not yet known but, according to our information, there should be about 500 CRS, supported by public safety staff, specialized units in the fight against the hooligans in the stages (SIR, rapid response section) and twelve horsemen of the equestrian brigade. A few English police will also attend.
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Sometimes I think being so heavy handed actually leads to problems as opposed to preventing them
Have a mate who works as a bouncer. He says he's always polite to people who come in to the bar, as it will relax them. Rudeness will only lead them to be in bad mood and looking for a way of venting it
