Feature

West Ham to hand out stadium bans following crowd trouble

West Ham to hand out stadium bans following crowd trouble

English Premier League football club West Ham United is set to hand out stadium bans to 200 supporters following crowd trouble during the EFL Cup game with Chelsea on Wednesday.

Coins and seats were thrown by supporters during the match, which West Ham won 2-1. It is not the first time this season that the stadium has staged a match that has been marred by off-field issues. 

Trouble also broke out during West Ham’s defeat to Watford earlier in the season, prompting the club to reach out to the Metropolitan Police to marshal the ground. The request was turned down by the force due to the lack of a satisfactory radio system, although officers were on duty for Wednesday’s game after a temporary solution was found.

Given Chelsea’s allocation of 5,200 tickets and the rivalry between the two London clubs, stadium security was heightened for Wednesday’s fixture but the game was nevertheless overshadowed by events in the stands. West Ham has acted quickly to punish those involved.

A club statement issued on behalf of London Stadium partners read: “An extensive safety and security operation was delivered in and around London Stadium throughout Wednesday’s match with close co-ordination between West Ham United, London Stadium 185 and the Metropolitan Police service.
 
“A small number of individuals were intent on becoming involved in disorder and are being investigated, identified and banned from London Stadium as a matter of priority.

“The response of our safety and security teams was measured, fast and effective and we commend our stewarding and response personnel who were called to deal with several incidents of challenging behaviour.”

The statement went on to stress that the “vast majority” of West Ham and visiting supporters behaved “impeccably” during the game and insisted that the stadium partners are committed to providing a safe environment for fans.

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