Football fans have been urged to enjoy tonight’s Notts County v Chesterfield match safely and not spoil it for others.
Meadow Lane will host the second leg of the League Two play-off semi-finals from 8 pm, with the Magpies holding a 1-0 lead.
With a capacity crowd expected and a trip to Wembley for the final on the line, a tense encounter is expected between the local rivals.
Police officers will be on hand to ensure everything runs smoothly and are now appealing to fans to focus on the football and enjoy the match.
Superintendent Louise Clarke, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“We completely appreciate the significance of tonight’s match, but it is important people don’t allow their emotions to get the better of them.
“From experience, we know the vast majority of supporters will be going to enjoy the football, cheer their team on, and not cause any trouble whatsoever.
“Our main goal is to engage with both sets of supporters and ensure they can all watch the match safely before going home afterwards without any issues.
“We’re not there to ruin anyone’s fun, but I’d stress that our officers will look to take positive action against anyone who tries to spoil the event for the vast majority.”
The message from Supt Clarke comes after two fans were charged this week following trouble linked to a match between Notts and Chesterfield earlier this season.
This related to football-related disorder in the middle of Nottingham city centre after the League Two tie on 14 March had finished.
The UK Football Policing Unit supported Nottinghamshire Police in the resulting investigation, with officers arresting two suspects on Wednesday (13 May).
Charlie Miller, 29, of Tibshelf, Alfreton, and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have both since been charged with Section 4 public order offences.
The suspects will appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 4 June and 1 June respectively and have been bailed with strict conditions until then.
These conditions prevent either from attending any Notts County match or being in the vicinity of any ground where Notts are playing, home or away, in the hours before and after kick-off.
“Violence, disorder, or antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated by this police force, whether related to the football or not,” added Supt Clarke.
“These two charges, secured following partnership work with the UK Football Policing Unit, should serve as a warning of the potential consequences getting involved in disorder can have.
“Any football fan who gets involved in this type of behaviour, either inside the ground or outside of it, risks police seeking prosecutions against them and banning orders preventing them from going to matches.
“We don’t want to have to do that and, as I say, the vast majority of supporters cause no trouble whatsoever, so our main message to everyone is to support their team in the right way, not cause any issues, and enjoy the match.”