COP CONFUSION OVER WOLVES AWAY FAN BAN

12-01-2007

Plans for a protest by Cardiff City supporters in Wolverhampton next weekend in protest at their ban from Molineux have been given the blessing of West Midlands Police - contradicting claims made by the force's Chief Constable.

Paul Scott-Lee told BBC WM yesterday that no request for a march and rally had been received, but The Stirrer has discovered thattwo of his ownofficers were present at a meeting on January 4 which was also attended by local council officials, members of the Football Supporters Federation and Cardiff City Supporters Club.

The police even agreed that a public meeting (but not a protest march) can be held at 9am next Saturday at St Peters Piazza, on condition that it is all over by 10.30.

A small delegation of supporters has even been invited to a meeting afterwards with Wolverhampton council leader Roger Lawrence.

Supporters of other clubs including Wolves as well as Villa, Blues, Port Vale, Spurs, Arsenal and Stoke will be present to show their solidarity with the Bluebirds fans who've been bannedby Wolvesfollowing flare-upsover the last two seasons.

Steve Powell of the Football Supporters Federation told us: “I'm mystified at what the chief constable is reported as saying. It's all been agreed.”

He has no illusions about Cardiff's substantial hooligan fringe, saying: “I went there once as an away fan with Arsenal and I had my car bricked and was chased around the the city centre.

“But the people involved in this protest are not like that. They are genuine fans, and it can't be right to punish innocent people for what other people have done.”

Vince Alm from Cardiff City Supporters Club told us he feared this could set a dangerous precedent for the wholesale banningof away supporters.

He said: "People think of Cardiff fans as Genghis Khan-style warriors, but we've got our act together and we've been fighting hooliganism for the last 6 years.

"Our arrest figures have dropped 63% and last year at Ninian Park we only had four arrests. There have been incidents over the last two years at Molineux, but in our opinion they've been caused by operational errors."

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