Police Prepare For Big Local Soccer Derby

Extra police will be on duty for the big all-ticket local derby between Shrewsbury Town and Hereford United on Saturday.

The fixture is expected to attract a crowd of around 7,000 and police are urging fans to arrive at the new ground in Oteley Road in good time.

The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday. More than 100 police officers will be on duty helping with traffic and crowd management.

A spokesman said: “This is an attractive match and a large crowd is expected. More than 1,000 Hereford fans will be making the journey up the A49 to Shrewsbury and they will have to allow sufficient time to park up and to make their way to the new ground.

Supporters of both clubs are asked to arrive early to avoid any last minute congestion. “We would advise visiting supporters to check the Shrewsbury Town FC website for directions to the ground and in particular, for parking arrangements.

“There is no general parking for fans at the ground but there are a number of established parking areas, including the Shirehall, with park and ride facilities.”

Police believe a small number of Hereford fans may have bought tickets in the Shrewsbury end of the ground. “We understand about 30 or 40 Hereford supporters have obtained tickets in the Shrewsbury area and they will not be allowed entry. We advise anyone with such a ticket to contact Hereford United FC to make arrangements for changing their tickets. We understand the Hereford allocation has not sold out and that tickets are available.”

Fans are also being reminded it is an all-ticket match and no tickets are being sold on the day.

Meanwhile, although police are not expecting any trouble, they will be prepared to deal with any troublemakers.

“It should be a really good game and we don’t want it spoilt for the true supporters of both sides by a small minority who might be intent on causing problems. Anyone causing trouble or becoming involved in anti social behaviour will be dealt with robustly and is likely to end up in court,” added the spokesperson.

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