Police presence will be heightened on Monday night ahead of the Manchester derby – but residents do not appear concerned that much trouble will arise.
The clash between league leaders Manchester United and second-placed City at Old Trafford has naturally lead to a buzz of anticipation, and Greater Manchester Police is taking no risks.
Several weeks of preparation has gone into making the top-of-the-table encounter pass without incident, and for the force the focus is solely on the football.
GMP has been working very closely with both clubs to maximise safety and ensure the interest surrounding the game remains undiminished.
Match Commander Chief Superintendent Gerry Donnellan said: “The derby match is always a great fixture on the footballing calendar and with so much at stake for both teams as the end of season approaches.
“I want to stress that the majority of fans behave impeccably and are simply there to enjoy a great footballing occasion. They should be applauded for the way they behave and quite often this goes unrecognised.”
However, those around Greater Manchester feel there is little potential for unsavoury incidents.
Neil Grace, a 30-year-old drug worker from Bolton said: “I’m not massively concerned – I just tend to avoid it, but I’m sure there will be more police knocking about and more vigilance.”
His thoughts were echoed by retiree Mrs Simmons from Worsley, who said her City-supporting friend had hoped Manchester United wouldn’t get to the FA Cup semi-final to face City at Wembley – because there was always fan trouble.
She added: “I don’t come into the city centre often and I wouldn’t come into town anyway.”
One United fan said: “I think it will all be fine. There’s a strong police prescence these days and you’re more likely to see problems with away fans rather than home town fans so I can’t see there being any significant issues.”
At previous derby matches, incidents of criminality and anti-social behaviour have been few and far between, rather than widespread.
Chief Supt Donnellan said: “We do not take anything for granted and will never be complacent.
“I want to reassure people that Greater Manchester Police is extremely experienced at policing such big games and we will have a significant operation in place.”
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