An independent inquiry has been launched by the Metropolitan Police following complaints from Chelsea supporters about their treatment at the end of the FA Cup tie against Charlton Athletic last Saturday. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) raised concerns earlier this week over the police operation, which saw around 3,000 travelling fans unexpectedly held back outside The Valley stadium in freezing conditions after the match that kicked off at 8pm.
The CST wrote to the police force to voice their worries about the tactics used, which they described as “uncomfortably like that from past decades”. Fans were left distressed and confused by the sudden decision to detain them, with no prior warning given. The incident has prompted the Metropolitan Police to commission an independent investigation to thoroughly examine the policing approach and determine whether it was appropriate and proportionate.
Tensions often run high at football matches, particularly between rival fan bases. However, the CST has emphasised that the Chelsea supporters were cooperative and well-behaved throughout the evening. They argue that the police’s actions went beyond what was necessary to maintain order, potentially escalating the situation unnecessarily.
“Our members felt the policing was heavy-handed and the sudden decision to hold them back was extremely distressing, especially in the cold weather,” said a spokesperson for the CST. “We have raised our concerns directly with the Met and welcome their commitment to an independent review. It’s crucial that lessons are learned to ensure this kind of incident does not happen again.”
The independent inquiry will seek to establish the full facts of what occurred and assess whether the police’s operational planning, decision-making and implementation of crowd control measures were justified based on the circumstances. It will also explore any potential areas for improvement in the future handling of similar situations.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed that the review would be carried out by an external party to ensure impartiality. “We take all complaints about our policing operations extremely seriously,” they said. “It’s important that we thoroughly examine what happened at the Charlton match to understand if our tactics were appropriate, and where we can make changes to better support fans attending football games.”
The findings of the investigation are expected to be published in the coming weeks. Football supporters will be watching closely to see whether the review leads to meaningful changes in the way police manage crowds at matches going forward.
