Bubble Match Burst – Police & Crime Commissioner Confirms ‘Traditional Policing’ For Next Chester v Wrexham Match

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones has today announced the first Wrexham Chester derby match will not be a so called bubble match – and is a Friday evening tie.

Update: It appears the decision was taken in a meeting between Wrexham and Chester football clubs, plus Cheshire Police and North Wales Police. An agreed four way statement was issued at midday by those ‘stakeholders’, however the PCC’s PR team managed to get a statement together and circulated an hour earlier under embargo. A Director of Wrexham Football Club pointed out that the PCC was not involved in the meeting between the four parties.

Original information below…

Mr Jones has this lunchtime announced a ‘return to normal policing’ for the game at the Deva Stadium at 7.45pm on Friday, November 10th. Wrexham Football Club say “no arrangements for the return fixture at Wrexham have been confirmed”.

Below is a video of the convoy of Chester fans in 2013, with police helicopter overhead, outriders blocking slip roads and police on bridges over the A483. Since the initial bubble match in, 2013 things have been scaled back, with this season’s fixture the first to be ‘traditionally’ policed.

The commissioner has also urged both sets of fans to be on their best behaviour to ensure there was no return to the bubble restrictions.

A review of the arrangements was conducted after there was no trouble at the two games last season.

Mr Jones, who pledged during his Police and Crime Commissioner election campaign to burst the bubble, said: “I am delighted the Chester game this season will be policed in the traditional fashion and that there will be no bubble.

“I would like to thanks the two clubs and the two police forces, North Wales and Cheshire, for their joint decision which is a victory for common sense.

“I’ve been campaigning for this prior to being elected and since Police and Crime Commissioner and I am pleased the restrictions have been lifted.

“It’s down now to the fans to show that they can behave. Any squabbles during the Wrexham v Chester game and we’ll be going back to the bubble.

“I’ve done what I can and it’s now down to the fans to show that they can go to a football match and behave in an appropriate manner.

Mr Jones added: “This is a massively important step and 95 per cent of people who go to watch Wrexham and Chester will be over the moon that they don’t have to put up with these disproportionate restrictions. I think the fans from both clubs will respond appropriately and I think it will be a very good day for derby matches.

“It’s also going to mean bigger crowds and both clubs will benefit from bigger gate receipts which will also boost the local economies.

“It’s a win win for everybody apart from the hooligan element who will be policed out if they behave inappropriately.”

“The fans will be treated like human beings and that’s the important thing. It’s important we don’t target ordinary football fans just because of the behaviour of a small minority.

“I’m afraid that’s what’s been happening in the past, and I just welcome a return to proportionate policing of football matches.”

Wrexham Football Club have said: “Following a considerable reduction in arrests and disorder at the matches since the arrangements were introduced, all parties have agreed that this season the ‘Safe Transport’ element will be removed, allowing fans to make their own way to the games. In the continued interests of safety, the games will remain all ticket and the initial match at Chester will take place at 7.45pm on Friday 10th November.

“It must be stressed that at this time, no arrangements for the return fixture at Wrexham have been confirmed. This will be reviewed in light of events during the initial match at Chester.”

What defines traditional policing and proportionate will remain to be seen, with the Tranmere home game in December being a non-bubble yet heavily policed fixture. Prior to the match we noted a large police operation in place, with many officers in protective equipment.

As we tweeted at the time, home fans quietly left at the final whistle with no opposing supporters around through two lines of protected police with dogs barking at them. The fixture saw one arrest.

Rows of geared up police and barking dogs to welcome us – no Tranmere about pic.twitter.com/YXzlPEppSu

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) December 10, 2016

Mold Road closed awaiting Tranmere escort to station. Low key prematch uniform replaced with more tactical gear pic.twitter.com/QAGJO5anaX

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) December 10, 2016