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FROM HANTS POLICE Ml CONT 6 , 9. 1989 15« 31 P.
HAMPSHIRE CONSTABULARY
Tel, No, Southampton 581111
T .I.X N o , flgJJ/J
Our R«f.
Your Ref.
PORTSWOOD POLICE STATION,
ST. DENYS ROAD,
PORTSWOOD,
SOUTHAMPTON.
S02 1GN.
9th June 19B9
The Chief Constable,
South Yorkshire Police,
Police Headquarters,
Snig Hill,
Sheffield, S3 6LY.
For the Attention of Chief Superintendent T ..7.w a i n
Dear Sir,
Re: Letter dated 7th June 1989
On Saturday 12th December 1988, I was on duty in uniform as the
Superintendent in charge of the First Division Football League match between
Southampton and Liverpool at the Dell, Southampton; kick off 1500 hours.
The match was an ’all ticket' match in that entry to the ground for
Liverpool fans would only bo allowed if they arrived with a ticket already
purchased.
At 1345 hours it became obvious that a large number of fans
supporting Liverpool did not have tickets.
Our strict and rigid policy at the Doll has always been that fans
who arrive without tickets will not be allowed entry and that the Club will
not open a turnstile.
However, on this occasion there were about 750 Liverpool fans
without tickets. Many related a story of being unable to purchase a ticket
from the office at Liverpool because it had not been opened to sell tickets
for a sufficiently long enough period.
Therefore, I got all 750 into an orderly queue and Southampton
Football Club opened a turnstile and charged them all £5 per head entry
instead of tne usual £3.BO.
The situation was extremely tense for a while and we had to use much
tact and good humour to avoid a situation of serious disorder.
We were helped by the fact that we still had room inside for those
750. Had that not been so then controlling those locked out would have been a
major problem.
Y^u^s faithfully,