Six areas of contention emerged from events at the London Stadium, ranging from how rival fans could be so close together to how the FA will respond
The headline flashpoint during the EFL Cup tie between West Ham United and Chelsea on Wednesday night kicked off in stoppage time, when some of the visiting supporters made for the exit at the back of the lower tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking stand. A number of West Ham fans from the adjacent space rushed over towards them and it raised the uncomfortable question as to how they were able to do so. The stewards held their line bravely and the response of the police was swift – in under 60 seconds they had officers in riot gear on the scene. The rival fans were kept from coming to blows – but they were still too close to each other for comfort and many missiles were thrown, including ripped-up seats. For the stadium’s first major match, with 5,182 Chelsea supporters in attendance, it felt as though there was an issue with the layout. Before kick-off the away fans had been asked to file in through a narrow entrance – only eight turnstiles – and there were delays and frayed tempers. Some of the Chelsea support feared a crush could develop. Furthermore it continues to be difficult to police the long, open walk back to Stratford rail station. Segregation is a headache.
Related: West Ham to ban 200 supporters after derby trouble
Related: ‘Who would subject their kids to that kind of atmosphere?’ West Ham fans’ view of crowd trouble
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