Post by Salem6 on Feb 18, 2004 19:21:20 GMT
British police have stopped at least 10 people from travelling to Portugal for England's friendly on Wednesday.
Courts will now decide whether each of the 10 will be subject to banning orders, a spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said.
But they will not be allowed to travel to Portugal and there is no evidence anyone already banned has made it over.
All 10 were stopped as part of tightened security at UK airports and ports ahead of the game in the Algarve.
Thousands of England fans have already arrived in Portugal
Dress rehearsal
About 2,000 known hooligans have already been stopped from travelling to Portugal through banning orders.
It is unclear where any of the 10 were stopped.
The police operation which began on Tuesday will continue at UK ports and airports until Wednesday night, the Acpo spokesman told BBC News Online.
On Wednesday a 39-year-old man appeared before magistrates in north Somerset, after police spotters stopped him boarding a flight from Bristol to Faro the previous afternoon.
Paul Lumber was banned by magistrates from travelling abroad within five days of any England international, or attending any domestic match for the next two years.
The authorities in England and Portugal are treating the friendly as a dress rehearsal for England's opening matches of the Euro 2004 championship in Coimbra and Lisbon.
Police are keen to avoid a repeat of Euro 2000, which saw hundreds of England fans rioting in Belgium.
The senior British police officer advising the Portuguese, Deputy Chief Constable David Swift, of Staffordshire Police, said 21 flights from the UK airports had been scrutinised.
"Not a single individual who is banned has managed to put in an appearance at those airports," he said.
Fans will have to pass through three security cordons to get into the stadium on Wednesday night.
Anyone suspected of having had too much to drink could be breathalysed by the police.
The equivalent of two and a half pints of beer is the alcohol limit for the game.
At Birmingham Airport, Pc Keith Parkes, who is co-ordinating part of the operation for West Midlands Police, said they were monitoring every flight to Europe.
He said people could be arrested even if only suspected of planning to cause trouble.
"We look at the background for violence or disorder. It doesn't have to be at football", he said.
Sven's message
The British Council and supporters' groups organised a party on Tuesday in Faro to build ties ahead of the summer's championship matches.
A message from England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was read out to England fans in which he urged them to behave well.
"It would be a great shame if the worst happened and they sent us home," he added.
Mr Swift was on patrol with other officers on Tuesday in Faro.
"I feel the ingredients are there for us to be able to enjoy a good festival of football, which is remembered for the football and nothing else," he said.
Important test
Football Supporters Federation international coordinator Kevin Miles added: "The England fans appeared to be having a good welcome from the locals and the authorities are setting the right tone."
Around 3,500 England fans are expected for Wednesday's match.
The FA has sold its 2,000 ticket allocation and around 1,000 to 1,500 tickets have been sold to English people living in Portugal.
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears, who will watch the match, said it would be a test for Euro 2004.
"We will test out some of our ways of working," she said.
Earlier this week she signed an undertaking with her Portuguese counterpart Nuno Magalhaes to confirm the UK Government's commitment to stop more than 2,000 English hooligans travelling to Portugal.
"We are absolutely determined in England to do everything we can to make sure that people in Portugal enjoy the football," she said.
About 50,000 England supporters are expected to travel to Portugal for the tournament - more than for any other nation.
Violence also marred the European finals in Italy in 1980, in Germany in 1988 and in Sweden four years later.
Courts will now decide whether each of the 10 will be subject to banning orders, a spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said.
But they will not be allowed to travel to Portugal and there is no evidence anyone already banned has made it over.
All 10 were stopped as part of tightened security at UK airports and ports ahead of the game in the Algarve.
Thousands of England fans have already arrived in Portugal
Dress rehearsal
About 2,000 known hooligans have already been stopped from travelling to Portugal through banning orders.
It is unclear where any of the 10 were stopped.
The police operation which began on Tuesday will continue at UK ports and airports until Wednesday night, the Acpo spokesman told BBC News Online.
On Wednesday a 39-year-old man appeared before magistrates in north Somerset, after police spotters stopped him boarding a flight from Bristol to Faro the previous afternoon.
Paul Lumber was banned by magistrates from travelling abroad within five days of any England international, or attending any domestic match for the next two years.
The authorities in England and Portugal are treating the friendly as a dress rehearsal for England's opening matches of the Euro 2004 championship in Coimbra and Lisbon.
Police are keen to avoid a repeat of Euro 2000, which saw hundreds of England fans rioting in Belgium.
The senior British police officer advising the Portuguese, Deputy Chief Constable David Swift, of Staffordshire Police, said 21 flights from the UK airports had been scrutinised.
"Not a single individual who is banned has managed to put in an appearance at those airports," he said.
Fans will have to pass through three security cordons to get into the stadium on Wednesday night.
Anyone suspected of having had too much to drink could be breathalysed by the police.
The equivalent of two and a half pints of beer is the alcohol limit for the game.
At Birmingham Airport, Pc Keith Parkes, who is co-ordinating part of the operation for West Midlands Police, said they were monitoring every flight to Europe.
He said people could be arrested even if only suspected of planning to cause trouble.
"We look at the background for violence or disorder. It doesn't have to be at football", he said.
Sven's message
The British Council and supporters' groups organised a party on Tuesday in Faro to build ties ahead of the summer's championship matches.
A message from England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was read out to England fans in which he urged them to behave well.
"It would be a great shame if the worst happened and they sent us home," he added.
Mr Swift was on patrol with other officers on Tuesday in Faro.
"I feel the ingredients are there for us to be able to enjoy a good festival of football, which is remembered for the football and nothing else," he said.
Important test
Football Supporters Federation international coordinator Kevin Miles added: "The England fans appeared to be having a good welcome from the locals and the authorities are setting the right tone."
Around 3,500 England fans are expected for Wednesday's match.
The FA has sold its 2,000 ticket allocation and around 1,000 to 1,500 tickets have been sold to English people living in Portugal.
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears, who will watch the match, said it would be a test for Euro 2004.
"We will test out some of our ways of working," she said.
Earlier this week she signed an undertaking with her Portuguese counterpart Nuno Magalhaes to confirm the UK Government's commitment to stop more than 2,000 English hooligans travelling to Portugal.
"We are absolutely determined in England to do everything we can to make sure that people in Portugal enjoy the football," she said.
About 50,000 England supporters are expected to travel to Portugal for the tournament - more than for any other nation.
Violence also marred the European finals in Italy in 1980, in Germany in 1988 and in Sweden four years later.