London Metropolitan Police Have Launched an Independent Probe into Treatment of Chelsea Fans After FA Cup Tie at Charlton
The Met police have launched a fresh investigation after receiving complaints from Chelsea supporters about the policing of their team's FA Cup tie against Charlton last Saturday. The concerns revolve around an operation in which approximately 3,000 travelling fans were held back outside the Valley stadium without prior notice following the conclusion of the game that kicked off at 8pm in freezing temperatures.
The issue has been highlighted by the Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST), who claim there was a lack of communication from the police, and unsafe conditions. The CST also stated that blocked routes caused confusion, leading to a surge when fans were eventually allowed to leave. "Visible distress" was reportedly caused as fans were directed towards a confined space for almost 30 minutes before being released.
The trust's chair, Dominic Rosso, expressed disappointment with the policing approach, saying: "No advance communication was provided to supporters regarding the possibility of a post-match holdback, leaving thousands unprepared for what followed." The CST has since called for clearer communication and better management in high-pressure situations.
Chelsea fans have described their experience as deeply disappointing, evoking uncomfortable comparisons with policing approaches from past decades. The incident is particularly concerning given freezing temperatures that turned muddy ground into ice, resulting in people slipping, falling, and navigating low walls in darkness.
In a statement, the Met police acknowledged that they took steps to ensure safety but also committed to an independent review with the UK Football Policing Unit. "The policing of football matches often requires dynamic decision-making to reduce the potential risk of disorder," said a spokesperson for the force. "Our primary focus is always the safety of supporters and the wider public."
A full investigation has been launched, and it remains to be seen what steps will be taken as a result.
The Met police have launched a fresh investigation after receiving complaints from Chelsea supporters about the policing of their team's FA Cup tie against Charlton last Saturday. The concerns revolve around an operation in which approximately 3,000 travelling fans were held back outside the Valley stadium without prior notice following the conclusion of the game that kicked off at 8pm in freezing temperatures.
The issue has been highlighted by the Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST), who claim there was a lack of communication from the police, and unsafe conditions. The CST also stated that blocked routes caused confusion, leading to a surge when fans were eventually allowed to leave. "Visible distress" was reportedly caused as fans were directed towards a confined space for almost 30 minutes before being released.
The trust's chair, Dominic Rosso, expressed disappointment with the policing approach, saying: "No advance communication was provided to supporters regarding the possibility of a post-match holdback, leaving thousands unprepared for what followed." The CST has since called for clearer communication and better management in high-pressure situations.
Chelsea fans have described their experience as deeply disappointing, evoking uncomfortable comparisons with policing approaches from past decades. The incident is particularly concerning given freezing temperatures that turned muddy ground into ice, resulting in people slipping, falling, and navigating low walls in darkness.
In a statement, the Met police acknowledged that they took steps to ensure safety but also committed to an independent review with the UK Football Policing Unit. "The policing of football matches often requires dynamic decision-making to reduce the potential risk of disorder," said a spokesperson for the force. "Our primary focus is always the safety of supporters and the wider public."
A full investigation has been launched, and it remains to be seen what steps will be taken as a result.
! 3k fans held back without notice in freezing temps is just ridiculous 
. And dont even get me started on the way they handled the release of fans, it was like a scene from a horror movie 
. The CST is right, clearer communication and better planning would've made all the difference.
. And what really gets my goat is that it wasnt even a major incident, just a normal FA cup tie 
. I mean, who needs that kind of stress and anxiety on top of watching the match? It feels like the Met police are still stuck in the past and dont know how to handle high-pressure situations 
.
- at least they're acknowledging their mistake now and launching an independent review 
. Fingers crossed that something good comes out of this and they learn from their mistakes 
.
I mean, come on, 3,000 fans stuck outside in freezing temps without notice? That's just ridiculous! And now they're launching an independent probe? Better late than never, right? 
I'm all for accountability, but can't the police just get it together already? 
The fact that they had to resort to holding them back in a confined space with no clear communication is just... ugh. It's not like this was some crazy situation where you needed to lock down the stadium, it was just a normal FA Cup tie! 
And don't even get me started on the safety concerns - people slipping and falling? That's just asking for trouble! 
. They have this amazing selection of succulents, I swear my friend's wife has the best thumb for plants. Anyway, back to this Chelsea thing... it sounds like they really botched the whole situation with those freezing temps and ice everywhere... poor guys 
n the met police is tryin 2 be all cool but also sound like total bumblerz lol i mean who plans an event w/o checkin w/ da fans 1st?? 
. Those poor Chelsea fans were treated like cattle, no communication at all 
! Just held back without notice and stuck in freezing temps 
. It's crazy that they had to deal with blocked routes and confusion, not exactly the best conditions for people's safety 
. The Met police should really take a closer look at their procedures and make sure they're doing better next time 
. It's also kinda worrying that fans are drawing comparisons to older policing methods 
. I hope this full investigation leads to some serious changes, or it'll be a real shame 
I guess it all depends on how they went about it? 
and man, it was mental 
. As for the police, I think they said all the right things but honestly, it just didn't feel like we were treated with respect 
. Can't wait to see what comes out of this investigation 
It's not like they were causing trouble or anything, they're just Chelsea fans wanting to get home after a game. The whole thing sounds super disorganized and unsafe 
It's just basic human decency, right?
... I mean, I've heard of security being tight, but this is ridiculous. No advance notice, confined space for 30 minutes with no water or anything? That's just cruel 
. Think about it, the police are only doing this now 'cause there's cameras everywhere capturing all the drama 
. It's like they want to make sure their reputation is still intact after that whole incident 
. I'm not buying it, there's gotta be more to this story...
anyway hopefully this indep probe will make some changes