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Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN
Published: 20 July 2007

Chief Inspector Richard Woolford -in charge of policing of 60,000 football fans

At least 200 police on duty

ONE of Islington’s senior policemen this week revealed the challenges of keeping the peace at Britain’s second-largest football stadium.
Chief Inspector Richard Woolford, right, said suspect packages, hooligans and shootings all threatened to plunge match days into chaos last season.
Only through years of experience and a network of CCTV cameras did his team manage to shepherd 60,000 fans to the stadium in Ashburton Grove, without delaying matches.
In the past season, the first to be played at the Emirates, officers had to deal with a suspect package at Arsenal Tube minutes before a kick-off. A shooting in Finsbury Park also created problems and trains were not allowed to stop as officers taped off the area.
At least 200 officers are required for a big match. One game saw “the largest incidence of hooligans being moved from a football match last season”.
He was speaking at the council’s East Area Committee where temporary matchday parking bans were reapproved by councillors. Coaches will continue to be banned from parking underneath the Emirates.
Chief Inspector Woolford said: “The advice we have is don’t ever, ever put yourselves in the position where you’ve got a bus or coach parked under that stadium.”

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