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Police "Kettling" at London Bridge


Nongazeuse

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Anyone else irritated by OTT policing at London Bridge on Saturday after Millwall?

After we had got off the local train at London Bridge the police herded everyone towards the Underground and there was a cordon of plod preventing anyone like me who did not want to get on the tube back to Paddington.

I asked a PCSO (who looked about 14) if I could get back into the main station as I wasn't going on the Underground but he pushed me away.  I did manage to slip away further on but then had to walk a long way back to the main station.

I am not sure if this legal to prevent bona fide ticket holders from completing their journey - "false imprisonment" springs to mind. 

In any case wouldn't the 50-odd coppers have  been better employed tracking down knife crime across the capital? 

 

 

 

 

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All I did was say that I was nipping over to my office in the City and wasn't going to the underground.  This was true.  I was let through with no trouble at all.  Mind you, I was on my own, no colours on, don't have a strong Bristol accent, and basically made it seem as though I really really wasn't with the city fans and was just caught up in it.

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8 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Was there an escort to the game too, out of interest?

If so, I was at London Bridge pre game with mates and somehow missed that one as well!

BTW, my understanding is that police escorts at Millwall are routine.

Three of us had a beer around  borough market before the game and got the train to the ground at about 2.15ish from memory. Lots of police standing around but didn't see any escort. Mind you that area before the game is certainly somewhere you could come unstuck if you were unlucky.

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4 minutes ago, Between heaven and hell said:

Three of us had a beer around  borough market before the game and got the train to the ground at about 2.15ish from memory. Lots of police standing around but didn't see any escort. Mind you that area before the game is certainly somewhere you could come unstuck if you were unlucky.

3 of us in the Barrowboy and Banker, kept a low profile, we left it too late unluckily- in the sense of we got to the train, and a train was held back or cancelled or something (presumably part of police/BTP planning) and we missed first 15 mins.

Could also, given it was a Southern train that was missing, have been due to their pisspoor service in recent years, constant strikes etc. Makes FGW look like rail company of the year!

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We went to the ground via London Bridge But was very early, didn’t want to get caught up in any trouble. Got on the train and there were loads of blokes in their 50’s, obviously Millwall. Didn’t see or hear any other City fans, no one wore any colours, we didn’t either. The blokes on the train were in good spirits and kept trying to talk to us, and we just smiled and nodded as we didn’t want to be sussed. They got off and we followed them, we avoided the ‘cowards walkway’ and walked the Millwall way to the ground, all ok.

Im sorry but it’s a dump, literally. After walking trough the area and finding nothing more than scrapyards and car repair places at the ground we found people were sat around on the little grass they had eating food. There was a horrible smell, only a fence separated the food places outside from where dustbin lorries are emptied/stored. Disgusting. I actually felt sorry for their fans as no one should be sitting and eating next to that. 

After the game we did want to go back to London Bridge as we were staying in London for the evening. We walked along the cowards walkway and found loads of City fans turning around, they had reached the station (south Bermondsey) which they didn’t want and were trying to find another way out, it seems everyone was being guided to the station unless they were on CATS, a few people were frustrated.

At the station we were put straight on a train which left almost immediately. We walked furthest down the platform and had seats, it was jam packed in closer carriages. Plenty of police at the station and on the train. No trouble as it was just City fans on the train. We passed a large group of Millwall who looked like they were being held for a later train. The journey only takes 5 or 10 mins max. By the time we reach London Bridge fans were noisy and singing ‘we’re beeping shite’ and were in good spirits considering.

We were greeting by loads of Police who did start running amongst the fans, but the hold up was just sheer volume of people getting out through the big glass station doors. I saw one person try to beak the cordon and head towards the enterance of the Shard building, he was firmly refused. We hung back a moment and then did the same and were let through, but we looked like 2 females just caught up with football fans I guess. Don’t know what happened after, we left the area and didn’t see or hear another City fan all night.

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Told the copper I was taking the bride up the shard for a glass of wine. Let us straight through. 

As far as I could see you could of walked off in any direction sat down and remained anonymous. 

Plenty of non football people around. 

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Lad and I walked through the police cordon unchallenged. I was wearing a Bristol Babe t-shirt, but the Old Bill were somewhat more concentrated on the minority of boorish gobs***es who seem to follow us around these days.

Very civilised beer beforehand (well clear of the aforementioned,) and decent football related chat with Wall fans on the train to South Bermondsey.

Funny how if you act with decorum you get treated with as much......

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Old bill would’ve been peed off after the game so probably went a bit more heavy-handed than they may usually do. 

Reason they’d be peed off is coz a number of City holed up in a main Millwall pub early doors. No one has done that for decades at Millwall. They came unstuck in the end after a jolly good showing but Millwall numbers proved too much and a few City were injured. 

The old bill were too busy trying to kettle innocent fans at London Bridge, whilst the real hooligans slipped their net and had a proper old school row in their boozer. Plod incompetence. 

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2 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

@Enter Sandman

Maybe it's changed but kettling of away fans at Millwall, and indeed escorts are not exactly uncommon. Not exactly unheard of for away fans to have been held back there either.

Yeh it’s been that way for years. Just wondered why some people were complaining about it this year so I figured maybe the old bill were a bit more ‘officious’ this year coz they’d been hoodwinked earlier in the day. 

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4 minutes ago, Enter Sandman said:

Yeh it’s been that way for years. Just wondered why some people were complaining about it this year so I figured maybe the old bill were a bit more ‘officious’ this year coz they’d been hoodwinked earlier in the day. 

That maybe it, rather assumed it was the norm though.

Like I say, apart from obviously going to Bermondsey station- indeed thinking about it, we even managed to leave direct from Bermondsey to Shoreditch- unsure quite how! Well, can't recall the exact route but I definitely know I and mates managed to avoid getting shunted to Paddington.

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13 minutes ago, RedM said:

There was a horrible smell, only a fence separated the food places outside from where dustbin lorries are emptied/stored. Disgusting. I actually felt sorry for their fans as no one should be sitting and eating next to that. 

After the game we did want to go back to London Bridge as we were staying in London for the evening. We walked along the cowards walkway and found loads of City fans turning around, they had reached the station (south Bermondsey) which they didn’t want and were trying to find another way out, it seems everyone was being guided to the station unless they were on CATS, a few people were frustrated.

I'm afraid on the first point, the ground is next door to one of London's biggest waste incinerators, which not only serves Lewisham but several other boroughs including central London (Westminster). Our local Lewisham "tip" (sorry, refuse and recycling centre) is next door to it also. The ground is penned in by railway tracks and most of the area immediately around it, certainly on the Surrey Canal Road side, is industrial estate, unless you head out of the ground across Ilderton Road into Bermondsey, or south of Surrey Canal Road towards New Cross, where the site of the old ground at Cold Blow Lane is now quite a peaceful residential estate (and small park). 

After the game there was no specific obligation to go to the station (or on CATS!) - just needed to turn left on exiting the stand and head towards the large (closed) gates linking to the rest of the ground (which were open for those of us who came that way pre-game). There is a 10 minute lock in after FT, but then you are released into the wilds of South London. No issues going that way, plenty of Millwall milling about but all good natured. 50 or so City headed out and went off in different directions. As always with clubs like this if you want trouble you can find it locally, but it isn't at the ground - with the lack of pubs, anyone already tanked up was going to be well away.

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All went off in Bermondsey early doors - preplanned.

Noone has gone to Bermondsey (I heard it was Queen Vic) (bit like Liquid Assets was in North Street) for years as an away fan to plot up.

One City lad took a bit of a hiding. But on Millwall HOF, they were all saying “fair play to Bristol”! Got some respect for our lot!

It was also 1st Millwall home game where the serious Met OB attended this season - they had intel on it all apparently. The OB on ere will enlighten us I am sure.

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27 minutes ago, GasDestroyer said:

All went off in Bermondsey early doors - preplanned.

Noone has gone to Bermondsey (I heard it was Queen Vic) (bit like Liquid Assets was in North Street) for years as an away fan to plot up.

One City lad took a bit of a hiding. But on Millwall HOF, they were all saying “fair play to Bristol”! Got some respect for our lot!

It was also 1st Millwall home game where the serious Met OB attended this season - they had intel on it all apparently. The OB on ere will enlighten us I am sure.

House of Fraser?

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2 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

3 of us in the Barrowboy and Banker, kept a low profile, we left it too late unluckily- in the sense of we got to the train, and a train was held back or cancelled or something (presumably part of police/BTP planning) and we missed first 15 mins.

Could also, given it was a Southern train that was missing, have been due to their pisspoor service in recent years, constant strikes etc. Makes FGW look like rail company of the year!

We thought about that one opposite the station but some young uns outside were giving us a good look up and down so we wandered further on down, unfortunately though it was my shout and three pints of strong lager was  £15.30

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15 minutes ago, Between heaven and hell said:

We thought about that one opposite the station but some young uns outside were giving us a good look up and down so we wandered further on down, unfortunately though it was my shout and three pints of strong lager was  £15.30

That area- London Bridge, Borough Market- always going to be pricy no matter where (possibly except for Wetherspoons).

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3 hours ago, WayOutWest said:

Told the copper I was taking the bride up the shard for a glass of wine. Let us straight through. 

As far as I could see you could of walked off in any direction sat down and remained anonymous. 

Plenty of non football people around. 

Bit drastic just to get a drink?!

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4 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

All I did was say that I was nipping over to my office in the City and wasn't going to the underground.  This was true.  I was let through with no trouble at all.  Mind you, I was on my own, no colours on, don't have a strong Bristol accent, and basically made it seem as though I really really wasn't with the city fans and was just caught up in it.

I heard you mate, even l believed you. Your accent was incredible!!! 

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2 hours ago, GasDestroyer said:

All went off in Bermondsey early doors - preplanned.

Noone has gone to Bermondsey (I heard it was Queen Vic) (bit like Liquid Assets was in North Street) for years as an away fan to plot up.

One City lad took a bit of a hiding. But on Millwall HOF, they were all saying “fair play to Bristol”! Got some respect for our lot!

It was also 1st Millwall home game where the serious Met OB attended this season - they had intel on it all apparently. The OB on ere will enlighten us I am sure.

A bit of bad planning I heard, a few battalions didn’t manage to make it ( never heard of sat-nav’s?) leaving just a brave but small platoon, apparently it was like Rourkes Drift with Millwall coming from everywhere

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1 minute ago, harrys said:

A bit of bad planning I heard, a few battalions didn’t manage to make it ( never heard of sat-nav’s?) leaving just a brave but small platoon, apparently it was like Rourkes Drift with Millwall coming from everywhere

One of the Bristol chaps who didn't heed my advice of not drinking in Bermondsey, but to instead enjoy a stroll along the Southbank & take in the sights...An unfortunate member of the 40

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