Armed Police at Football Grounds

Addickted

No, not in response to CARD's request for a protest day on Saturday, but an unfortunate sign of the times I'm afraid.

Armed Police will be present at football grounds and other sports stadia around London on an ad hoc basis following new guidelines from the Met Police. Despite no specific terrorist threat, it is probably a prudent move following on from the suicide bombings at the Stade de France and it is hoped they will be a visible deterrent for any proposed attack.

So along with the sniffer dogs, expect to see some Bobbies strolling round The Valley with their H&K MP7s sometime in the near future.

Clem_Snide

No need at The Valley. Any would-be suicide bomber or machine gun attacker would no doubt be persuaded to lay down their arms the second they caught a glimpse of an amnesty bin.

soapy_jones

I would advise you all that go still, to keep those pencils sharpened and your pencil case close by... and if it kicks off throw your rubber at them!

SouthWest_Addicks

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

ElfsborgAddick

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Spannerville has seen them for years.

RedChaser

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Not police but I loved seeing these guns at Wembley;

blackpool72

RedChaser said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Not police but I loved seeing these guns at Wembley;

Best day ever

LuckyReds

I always find armed police quite reassuring, although I'm not entirely sure why, considering I'm not sure a suicide bomber really cares about a bullet to the head.

The cynic in me thinks this is nothing more than a simple exercise in reassurance; just like increased beat patrols. However, it's a very expensive reassurance exercise, and uses a finite resource that needs to be reallocated from elsewhere.

Whereas it may have been reassuring post-Bataclan, I'm willing to bet the security precautions included improved surveillance and other activities in the background. Armed police aren't going to be a great deal of use on their own.

Which leads the skeptic in me to wonder if this is related to the French cell which was taken down last week. I can't see why it would make sense for any other reason, especially when the police treat firearms as quite a politically sensitive issue.. Let alone combined with football.

It does make the issue of stadium safety at The "London Stadium" and the lack of TETRA/Airwave coverage quite alarming though. If the police feel it's a good time to deploy firearms to football grounds, then why is there a football ground (an iconic landmark at that) without adequate protection?

Huskaris

Suicide bombers at The Valley? The nearest person is 20 seats away half the time! ;-)

Seriously though, I would be surprised if any armed police bother coming to the Valley, we aren't exactly a high profile target. Low attendance, not packed at all, London's 30th biggest club or whatever we are these days.

No point. Thanks Katrien, I hope you're happy now ;-)

cafcfan

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

Lincsaddick

cafcfan said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

are you saying that sis is - as the Americans say - a bit of a hot pistol ? ((:>)

cafcfan

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

are you saying that sis is - as the Americans say - a bit of a hot pistol ? ((:>)

Nah. Huge hooters though. I think she has to have her uniform especially made. Personally, I wouldnt trust her with a Frey Bentos Pie let alone a firearm.

Lincsaddick

cafcfan said:

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

are you saying that sis is - as the Americans say - a bit of a hot pistol ? ((:>)

Nah. Huge hooters though. I think she has to have her uniform especially made. Personally, I wouldnt trust her with a Frey Bentos Pie let alone a firearm.

cafcfan said:

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

are you saying that sis is - as the Americans say - a bit of a hot pistol ? ((:>)

Nah. Huge hooters though. I think she has to have her uniform especially made. Personally, I wouldnt trust her with a Frey Bentos Pie let alone a firearm.

hahahahahhaha .. what's her errrr badge size number

soapy_jones

I can see it now... a splinter group of the CL touchy feely brigade!

cafcfan

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

are you saying that sis is - as the Americans say - a bit of a hot pistol ? ((:>)

Nah. Huge hooters though. I think she has to have her uniform especially made. Personally, I wouldnt trust her with a Frey Bentos Pie let alone a firearm.

cafcfan said:

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

are you saying that sis is - as the Americans say - a bit of a hot pistol ? ((:>)

Nah. Huge hooters though. I think she has to have her uniform especially made. Personally, I wouldnt trust her with a Frey Bentos Pie let alone a firearm.

hahahahahhaha .. what's her errrr badge size number

It's quite likely I'm out of date "badge numbers" change so rapidly. It was 34GG last I heard. I believe she uses Acrow rather than Wonderbra.

Which allows me to bring in a useless fact of the day. The inventor of the adjustable prop used a version of his solicitor's name for the company name. Mr. A Crowe.

Lincsaddick

cafcfan said:

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

are you saying that sis is - as the Americans say - a bit of a hot pistol ? ((:>)

Nah. Huge hooters though. I think she has to have her uniform especially made. Personally, I wouldnt trust her with a Frey Bentos Pie let alone a firearm.

cafcfan said:

Lincsaddick said:

cafcfan said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Went to Wembley last year for the France match and from tube station to the ground was covered with armed police.

Never thought I would see police with guns at football matches.

Unless in almost any other country than mainland UK, of course. Where armed officers are just standard.
Indeed, my sister has been an armed officer at Dungannon Swifts. (Average crowd 314.)

are you saying that sis is - as the Americans say - a bit of a hot pistol ? ((:>)

Nah. Huge hooters though. I think she has to have her uniform especially made. Personally, I wouldnt trust her with a Frey Bentos Pie let alone a firearm.

hahahahahhaha .. what's her errrr badge size number

It's quite likely I'm out of date "badge numbers" change so rapidly. It was 34GG last I heard. I believe she uses Acrow rather than Wonderbra.

Which allows me to bring in a useless fact of the day. The inventor of the adjustable prop used a version of his solicitor's name for the company name. Mr. A Crowe.

interesting trivia .. I reckon the armed police will be on duty in Glasgow this weekend: to protect the Rangers players from wild man Joey 'Twat Face' Barton

Nicholas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRBBPHgqskM

Guns are better then goal music

Jayajosh

soapy_jones said:

I can see it now... a splinter group of the CL touchy feely brigade!

and Matt Damon as our ambassador.