Police urge Manchester United and Leeds fans to behave responsibly with 70,000 capacity crowd set for Old Trafford opener between fierce rivals
- Manchester United and Leeds have had fierce rivalry down the years
- Police have called for fans of both sides to act responsibly at Old Trafford
- Old Trafford will be full for the first time since the Manchester derby last March
Police have called for fans to behave responsibly ahead of Manchester United’s opening-day clash with fierce rivals Leeds as Old Trafford prepares to host its first capacity crowd in 17 months.
Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off will also be the first time Leeds fans have attended a league game at United’s home ground since 2004.
The two clubs met in the Premier League last December following the Yorkshire club’s return to the top-flight, but it was played behind closed doors due to Covid restrictions.
Manchester United take on Leeds this Saturday with a full Old Trafford crowd behind them
Marcelo Bielsa’s side are fierce rivals of United and police have called for good behaviour
When the teams met in the return fixture at Elland Road in April, United had to implement extra security precautions after learning that Leeds fans were planning to attack their team bus at the height of the European Super League fallout.
The fixture between two of English football’s fiercest rivals has a history of crowd trouble dating back to the 70s and 80s, and Greater Manchester Police officers are working extended hours to ensure the Category A game and other events in the city centre go off peacefully.
Chief superintendent Stuart Ellison, gold commander for GMP’s public order operations on Saturday, took the unusual step of issuing a statement on social media to call for good behaviour across the city with Old Trafford set to be full for the first time since the Manchester derby in March 2020.
He said: ‘It feels like a long time since we last had capacity crowds, but we have worked on hundreds of events in the past and our priority this weekend remains the same.
‘We are working closely with all relevant agencies to ensure that everyone attending can have a safe and enjoyable time.
There will be an increased police presence in Manchester with multiple events on the day
‘Last weekend we had the return of league football and it was great to have capacity crowds back at grounds in Bolton, Oldham and Salford where all the matches passed safely and without police incident.
‘The Premier League starts this weekend with Manchester hosting the biggest game of the weekend, 70,000 fans returning to Old Trafford to see Manchester United hosting Leeds United. That’s just one of four matches on our patch on Saturday afternoon.
‘There are also planned events in Manchester city centre and in the evening at Manchester Arena. With this there will unsurprisingly be a noticeable increase in people moving around the city. We will have an increased police presence in those areas to ensure event goers and other members of the public can go about their weekend activity without disruption.
‘Our officers are working extended hours this weekend to help to kept the public safe. All that we ask is that you behave responsibly so everyone can enjoy themselves. We hope you have a great weekend and stay safe in Manchester.’
Leeds fans will make the trip to watch their side play in the opening game of the season
The last time Leeds fans were allowed into a league game at Old Trafford was February 2004 when the two teams drew 1-1.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side won 6-2 when they met again in December, but Leeds triumphed on their only other to Old Trafford since 2004 as the then League One side won in a FA Cup tie in January 2010.
United are urging fans to arrive early for the game due to a number of transport issues. There will also be a minute’s silence before kick-off as both clubs pay respect to former players, staff and fans who have lost their lives during the pandemic.
