• Four clubs to remind squads of their responsibilities
• Police numbers boosted for west London derby
The Football Association has spoken with Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool and requested they remind players and staff of their responsibilities ahead of Saturday’s potentially explosive FA Cup collisions between the teams.
The ties at Loftus Road and Anfield will be overshadowed by the incidents that marred the league meetings between the teams in October. Luis Suárez will miss Saturday’s fixture as the penultimate match of an eight-game ban, having been found guilty of racially abusing United’s Patrice Evra in the 1-1 draw on 15 October, and John Terry is due to attend west London magistrates court next Wednesday charged with a racially aggravated public order offence that allegedly occurred during an altercation with QPR’s Anton Ferdinand on 23 October. The Chelsea captain denies the charge.
Tensions have been heightened by these incidents ahead of fixtures that have traditionally been fractious. Although the game’s governing body was already aware of the measures being taken involving the planning and preparation for the two matches, the FA has now issued joint requests, in partnership with the Metropolitan police and Merseyside police, for the clubs to remind their players and staff before kick-off of the particular sensitivities surrounding the games in an effort to avoid any behaviour that could be deemed to be inflammatory.
FA officials have been present at strategy and planning meetings held by the clubs and have spoken at length to the police forces involved. They have drawn huge encouragement from the very clear levels of co-operation between Liverpool and United around the planning of their fixture, and by the joint statement issued by the QPR chairman, Tony Fernandes, and his counterpart at Chelsea, Bruce Buck, this week calling for calm in their west London derby. The chairmen asked for the game to be remembered merely as a “celebration of football”, with the FA impressed by the proactive measures taken by all parties in a bid to defuse ill-feeling between sets of fans.
There will be FA crowd control advisers at both games, with QPR having chosen to remind their supporters on Thursday of the need for good behaviour via their official website. “Racial, homophobic or discriminatory abuse, chanting or harassment is strictly forbidden and will result in arrest and/or ejection from the ground,” read their statement.
“In addition, the club will impose a ban for one or more matches. QPR will not tolerate sexual or racially based harassment, or other discriminatory behaviour, whether physical or verbal and where required we will work in full co-operation with the Metropolitan police to provide CCTV footage and staff statements to ensure prosecution.
“Queens Park Rangers Football Club is committed to confronting and eliminating discrimination, whether by reason of race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ethnic and national origin, disability, nationality, religion or belief or gender reassignment. The club is proud of the atmosphere we have at Loftus Road and by working together we can stop any discrimination or behaviour that has no place in football. Loftus Road is governed by ground regulations and we would like to remind all visitors that by entering the ground they are agreeing to abide by these rules.”
The derby at Loftus Road – which will be officiated by the experienced Mike Dean – has yet to sell out, with tickets available in most of the home sections, though there will be an increased police presence for a game that has been brought forward to a midday kick-off time on the Met’s advice.
It remains to be seen whether Ferdinand and Terry are selected for the fixture but the QPR defender, if he is picked, is thought to be reluctant to shake hands with his opponent during the pre-match formalities between the teams.
André Villas-Boas, the Chelsea manager, has consistently said he would have no qualms about selecting his captain for the game despite the furore that erupted after their last visit to Loftus Road.
Didier Drogba and José Bosingwa were sent off in that fixture as the hosts prevailed 1-0.
The FAQPRChelseaLiverpoolManchester UnitedFA Cup 2011-12FA CupDominic Fifield
guardian.co.uk
