CCFC FACED 42 'BUBBLE' MATCHES OUT OF THE 48 THERE HAS BEEN

A civil liberties group has called for an end to so-called “bubble” policing of football games after Wales’ top two sides played more than 40 high-security fixtures in a decade.

Cardiff City fans were subjected to rigorous police restrictions – described as “kettling on wheels” by campaigners Manifesto Club – on more than 30 away-days in 10 seasons.

Swansea City supporters were also subject to the controls on four visits to their arch rivals, while the procedures have also been used for visiting spectators at both clubs.

The measures mean fans have to travel on official coaches to games and exchange vouchers for match tickets at a rendezvous point before buses are given a police escort to the stadium.


Vince Alm, of the Cardiff City Supporters’ Club, described the restrictions as “a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.

Manifesto Club released the report – Criminalising Football Fans: The Case Against ‘Bubble’ Matches – on Friday.

Freedom of Information Act requests made to police forces in England and Wales reveal the measures were used for at least 48 Football League matches in the last decade – 42 of which involved Cardiff.

Bluebirds fans travelling to games away at Bristol City, Stoke City, Coventry City, Wolverhampton Wanderers , West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City, Millwall, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been subjected to the restrictions.

Home matches against Leeds United, Swansea City and also nearby neighbours Bristol City have also been designated as bubble matches for away fans.

A clash between Swansea City and Bristol City in 2009 was also deemed a bubble match.

The report states: “The extreme measures involved in bubble matches cause considerable disruption for fans.”

It also claims the added security measures could be a money-saving measure for clubs if the controls meant games fell in to a lower risk category for policing fees.

“Clubs may therefore be tempted to opt for bubble matches, despite their unpopularity, since the savings can be close to £20,000 for a Championship level fixture.”

Report author Peter Lloyd, a Peterborough United fan, also says bubble methods can make travelling supporters “more exposed to troublemakers, because they are travelling in a convoy of readily identifiable vehicles”.

The report adds: “The sight of kettled supporters being escorted to and from the ground can lead to the very taunting and abuse which the authorities would presumably like to see reduced.”

Home Office figures cited in the report show more than 37m spectators attended professional football matches in England and Wales last season but only 3,089 arrests were made – lower than 0.01% of fans and a record low.

Of those arrests, 332 were for violent disorder – a reduction of 40% on the season before. Nearly three-quarters of matches had no arrests at all.

The overall arrest total was down 9% on the 2009/10 season.

The report calls on football clubs and the authorities to stop using the tactic to police away fans and “concentrate in tackling troublemakers and incidents of disorder directly”.

Cardiff City Supporters’ Club travel officer Vince Alm said bubble matches made fans feel “like second-class citizens”.

“It’s ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money and it’s also an infringement of people’s civil liberties.”

He said bubble matches were unfair as they impose restrictions on all fans rather than tackling troublemakers.

“It’s like any sporting fixture – occasionally you get the odd incident but provided you look after the idiots then it doesn’t take a lot of resources.”

But Sports Grounds Safety Authority senior inspector Malcolm Collier said in “exceptional circumstances” bubble matches were the only way to police a game when authorities felt other options were not adequate.

“There are times and places when these would appear to be the only resolution to a very, very difficult problem,” he said.

“We want to get back to football being the beautiful game and if this becomes the only option [for a game] then in all honesty it has to be considered.”

Cardiff City FC did not respond to requests for a statement on the report.



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Just read through the report.

There is a picture on the 3rd page showing the Forum Bus members with the banners at West Ham earlier this season. The banners really do reflect the views of most fans.

I hate Bubble trips and when you see that out of 48 Fottball League matches that were bubbled 42 involve City and of then 36 where City Travelled away, you wonder what they think City supporters are likey to do when travelling away. Ok we have a few "Hot heads", but the majority only want to enjoy a few beers and watch a match. This report shows that City have been victimised, particularly by West Midland Police. It seems one rule for us and another rule for everyone else

It is interesting that the report also says that those travellinbg on Bubble trips actually feel less secure. It says the following.

"authorities claim that these restrictions make visiting supporters feel safer. However, a perverse result of the bubble restrictions is that football supporters can be more exposed to troublemakers, because they are travelling in a convoy of readily identifiable vehicles. Supporters travelling independently by car or train can usually move unobtrusively in and around the stadium, with the application of a minimum amount of common sense and caution. When this is effectively banned, supporters are wholly reliant on police security"

In my 40 plus years of watching football, I think I know how to aviod trouble and stay safe. I don't need the Police to protect me.

If the club saves a lot of money though, surely that's one positive?

I can see the problems, but there is a silver lining.

If the club saves a lot of money though, surely that's one positive?

I can see the problems, but there is a silver lining.

It's not our club that saves the money though, it's the club we're visiting and that's only because the police scare monger and say it's a higher level than it is.
I see no silver lining it's a load of bollocks and proves we get victimised time and time again

Me and a lot of people off the other board blame Carl.

it is improving thankfully. no restrictions on millwall and birmingham this season, just stupid at west ham and leeds.

If the club saves a lot of money though, surely that's one positive?

I can see the problems, but there is a silver lining.

It's not our club that saves the money though, it's the club we're visiting and that's only because the police scare monger and say it's a higher level than it is.
I see no silver lining it's a load of bollocks and proves we get victimised time and time again

but if that's true, won't we will have saved money when we've played Swansea, Leeds etc at home??

As I said earlier, I can see all the problems, but there is a small silver lining surely?

Things take time to settle down..........some of the bubbles where probably the best solution at the time. Without them there would have been trouble at certain games. Not just skirmishes amongst 'those involved', but situations where everyone at away games were in big danger.

Leeds away a few years back saw us in the ground around 12.30....bar open. Locked in for nearly an hour while Leeds went nuts and about 90 arrests. If our lot were allowed to mingle that day, there would have been serious mayhem. And I am not talking 'stand off' positioning, but mayhem, with innocents in the middle.

Wolves away....probably necessary after they bricked us at the exits.

I can talk of West Ham, Stoke, Wurzells, Jacks, Birmingham........to be honest, without some sort of police organisation, these games would have been war zones.

BUT.....as I say, time heals. Wurzels games are OK because the ferocity has died down. Different if they were regular competion for play offs. Can't ever see Jacks games back to normal. Not the fault of police. Shutting M6, junction by junction for the City convoy was just nuts. As was helicopter coverage back from Plymouth.

Police have over used measures, sure. Some have protected us. Some have been too long coming off.

Just get on with it, I say.

I was at Millwall in 1978 and scared to death! Had a flick knife to my through v Chelsea. Police have taken the mick but will loosen there hold over time as things continue to improve.

Problem is we have a lot of nobhead fans who cause trouble at high profile games causing the argument for bubble trips to be quite conclusive. I think our figures of relatively improved behaviour at games can be put down to bubble trips.

Post Chelsea, everything has changed