Football fans in Nottinghamshire have been urged to remember today for the ‘right reasons’ ahead of an historic night of football.
Just a couple of hours ahead of kick-off fans are already outside city bars and in the streets singing ‘Football’s Coming Home’.
England play Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley after a tournament that will undoubtedly live long in the memory for many reasons.
Understandably, it is a time to celebrate and bars and pubs across Nottinghamshire are expected to be full to capacity with expectant fans roaring on the Three Lions.
Police have called for the public to remember tonight for positive reasons, rather than for any out-of-character regrettable decisions that could overshadow the game.
In addition, officers have reminded the public of the measures currently in place in the city centre, such as the public spaces protection order that prohibits alcohol from being consumed in the street.
There is also a call for vigilance when it comes to spotting and reporting suspicious activity that could potentially be a threat to safety.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “There have been very few issues in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire as a result of Euro 2020 and we expect that to continue.
“Wednesday’s post-victory celebrations saw very low numbers of arrests, especially when compared to the usual policing of a Friday and Saturday night time economy, which we were pleased to see.
“Celebrations have also been in good humour and all in all, it would be fair to say the public’s response to England’s success in our city and county has been excellent.
“However, we are well aware of the historical significance of tonight’s game and how much an England win will mean to the public – ourselves included.
“The significance of the result is not a justification for breaking the law and we will have an increased presence across the city and county in order to ensure that people can enjoy themselves safely.
“Our nightshift will be coming on early to provide more support but as I have said, our priority is about enabling people to have fun in a safe way and any threats to public safety will be dealt with swiftly.
“It is worth noting that the public spaces protection order in the city means that drinking alcohol in the street is prohibited and anyone drinking in city streets can have alcohol confiscated from them.
“This is not a new measure, it is something that is always in place, however, we know there will be a large number of people in the city centre and it is possible that people may not be aware of this.”
Fans are also once again discouraged from trying to walk in to pubs and bars showing the game, as most licenced premises are taking bookings only in order to comply with Coronavirus restrictions.
ACC Cooper added: “Bars and pubs have been at capacity over the past few England games and this is likely to be the case again on Sunday. If you are planning on coming into town, please make sure you have a booking. If not, I would watch the game from home in order to avoid disappointment, as all pubs are likely to be full.”
