Ring of steel: Wembley Stadium chiefs plan fencing to prevent Euro 2020 final repeat
Wembley Stadium bosses plan to erect a ring of steel around the venue in the hope that fences will prevent repeats of the crowd trouble at last year’s Euro 2020 final.
The move was one of the recommendations of a report by Baroness Casey into the chaotic scenes, which marred England’s appearance in a first men’s football final since 1966.
Wembley National Stadium Ltd, which is part of the Football Association, last week formally requested permission from Brent Council to install perimeter fencing.
If approved, the fences would be placed at key access points to the stadium in order to prevent people without tickets from forcing their way into entrances.
An FA spokesperson said: “We have submitted a planning application to Brent Council for new secure entrance portals around the entry points on our B2 level. These are part of the works we are carrying out, based on the Casey Review recommendations.”
The application states that the fences would “enhance security standards” by aiming to “deter unwanted guests climbing and rushing” towards gates.
The Casey Review estimated that around 2,000 people without tickets gained access to Wembley Stadium for the July 2021 final of Covid-delayed Euro 2020.
Published five months after England’s defeat to Italy, the report described an “appalling scene of disorder” and a “day of national shame” that could have led to “considerably more injuries or even fatalities”.
It added: “Our team of role models were in our first major final for 55 years. However they were let down by a horde of ticketless, drunken and drugged up thugs who chose to abuse innocent, vulnerable and disabled people, as well as police officers, volunteers and Wembley staff.”
Despite the crowd trouble, England is part of a joint home nations bid to stage the 2028 European Championship, which is regarded as the frontrunner.