German police who've banned strong beer for England's hotly-anticipated clash with Serbia on Sunday have encouraged fans to smoke cannabis instead.
Fears over potential violence have led to the Three Lions' opening game of Euro 2024 in the city of Gelsenkirchen being designated a 'high-risk' fixture by authorities. Only low-percentage beer and shandy will be served at Schalke's Veltins Arena in an effort to avoid any trouble.
England fans will, however, be able to smoke cannabis after it was legalised in Germany on April 1 - just not inside the stadium, fan zones, bars or city squares. Speaking ahead of the match, police spokesperson Stephan Knipp told the Sun: "It's no problem for fans to smoke cannabis on the street.
"If we see a group of people drinking alcohol and looking a bit aggressive, and another group smoking cannabis, of course, we'll look at the group drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol can make someone more aggressive, and smoking cannabis puts people in a chill mood.
"We want to prevent violence and keep people safe. Our focus will be on fans who are drinking and potentially getting violent - that's why we in place safety precautions on alcohol."
Singh Gill to make history as Premier League's first Sikh-Punjabi official
There've been reports this week claiming that 500 Serbian hooligans are planning to turn up and cause aggro. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham has assured England fans that the relevant authorities are well-prepared for trouble and insists that supporters of Gareth Southgate's side have a good recent track record.
"What I would say is, over the last few years our England fans have been absolutely brilliant support to us, particularly in the stadium," Bullingham said. "There are a lot of people going to come out here.
Your turn! Will England beat Serbia in their opening game? Give us your score prediction in the comments section
Cannabis was made legal in Germany on April 1 (Michele Tantussi/Getty Images)"The best thing that the fans can do to help us do well in this tournament is a tribute to their country. We want them to do that, reminding them that in 2006 we were the fans of the tournament. They were brilliant then.
"Obviously the actual protection of fans is a UEFA and a policing issue. If you look at our role and what we control, it is how you work together with them. And we've worked together with the police, the FSA, the police in both Germany and England over the last 18 months in a really collaborative project."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
