Heightened police presence ahead of hat-trick of home games around Birmingham tonight
Birmingham FC, Walsall, and Aston Villa are all playing home games tonight.
Ahead of a hat-trick of home games in and around Birmingham tonight, we're being urged to consider travel plans and be aware of a heightened police presence.
Aston Villa play their third game in the Champions League against Bologna at Villa Park tonight. Meanwhile, Birmingham City face Bolton in League One and Walsall are against Carlisle in League Two. All this means six sets of fans will be travelling to and from the area for kick offs within fifteen minutes of each other.
Superintendent Jack Hadley at West Midlands Police said: “We are used to dealing with large events including high-profile football matches and have a plan in place to allow fans to enjoy the game safely and keep the wider public safe.
“Having Bologna visit our city is a real celebration and a great opportunity to show off what our city has to offer.
“There will be additional officers within the city throughout the day to ensure all visitors are kept safe.
“I encourage anyone to engage with officers and say hello.
“Although we are not anticipating any issues, officers will deal with anyone not behaving as expected in a positive manner.
“Anyone behaving anti-socially can expect to be dispersed from the city, and anyone committing criminal offences can expect to be arrested.
“We are really looking forward to being able to demonstrate the very best of British policing to all our visiting fans.”
Birmingham New Street, Aston and Witton stations, as well as trains between them, are expected to be particularly busy as fans make their way to and from Villa Park, St Andrew’s and the Bescot Stadium.
Passengers are being urged to plan ahead and check before they travel to avoid any travel own goals on the day. They should know the times of the last few trains and not rely on the last train of the day to get home.
Steven Ireland, head of stations, security and customer relationship management for Network Rail’s Central route, said “Our station team at Birmingham New Street is ready to help football fans get to and from their matches smoothly.
“With three local fixtures all landing on the same evening, it’s important that passengers plan ahead, allow themselves extra time to get to their destination and know the time of their train home.
“Check before you travel at nationalrail.co.uk or with your train operator so you have the latest travel information.”
Lucy Wootton, head of Grand Railway Collaboration, said: “We’re expecting the rail network to be busier than normal from early this evening with football fans and commuters heading in and out of the city.
“Make sure you plan ahead, allow plenty of time for your journey and please be patient and kind to your fellow passengers and train crew.”
Chief inspector Christopher Hodgkiss said: “We’re expecting Birmingham to be busy, so our officers will be on hand and on patrol throughout the day to deter anti-social behaviour and ensure everyone can travel safely to and from the games.
“If you have any concerns or see something that doesn’t look right, speak to an officer or text British Transport Police on 61016.”
Passengers should remain vigilant while travelling on the rail network and report any concerns to a member of staff, or the British Transport Police by phoning 0800 40 50 40 or texting 61016. In an emergency always dial 999.