• Timing of Euro tie in Prague could spark drunken behaviour• Uefa overlooked Mark Roberts’ plea, making the game high risk
The national
police lead officer for football, Mark Roberts, has revealed that he wrote to Uefa to urge it not to stage England’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Czech Republic in Prague this Friday night, amid fears the timing would increase the extent of drunken and antisocial behaviour from travelling fans.
Roberts made no secret of his disappointment at how the plea was overlooked and now the police, the
Football Association and the Czech authorities must prepare for the prospect of flashpoints. The fixture has been designated as high risk, with the Czech police ready to deploy an unprecedented number of officers, including English-speaking “anti-conflict units” and, if necessary, anti-riot units.