Call to rethink football travel curbs

FOOTBALL fans are urging police to ease “draconian” travel restrictions to a Yorkshire derby, amid warnings of matchday protests.

The Football Supporters’ Federation, Huddersfield Town Supporters Association and other bodies have written to West Yorkshire Police’s Chief Superintendent John Parkinson, to state categorising the Huddersfield Town Championship game against Hull City as a C-IR – the highest possible grading – is a “slur” on both clubs’ good names.

A compromise put forward by the force means Hull supporters can pick up a coach to the game on March 30 at Hartshead Moor services on the M62.

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But fans object to travelling in a police-escorted “bubble” and fear it could set a precedent.

They have asked the force to reclassify the game, give Hull more tickets – they have been allowed just 1,700 – and bring down their price, saying if there is no movement some groups may call on Hull fans to boycott the game and there may be “peaceful protests” on matchday.

They said: “We understand that your officers may need to monitor an extremely small minority of fans that you label as “high risk” before, during and after the game and have no objection to this, but this should not reflect on the treatment of the extremely large majority of law-abiding supporters.

“The very fact that such a wide spectrum of supporters’ groups is working together shows the level of unity between the supporters of the two clubs and the fact that West Yorkshire Police has judged the match categorisation completely wrongly.”

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Police say the restrictions arose because of the late kick-off requested by Sky so the game could be televised live, raising the prospect of city centre disorder and the need for extra police cover.

No one was available to comment on the letter.