Don't wear Blues scarf in Naples: Manchester City in safety warning to fans heading for Champions League tie
Mike Keegan
November 17, 2011
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Manchester City bosses have taken the dramatic step of writing to all fans travelling to Italy for next week’s European Champions League match in Italy to urge them to take safety measures.
The Blues take on Napoli in Naples – where visiting supporters have previously been subjected to vicious knife attacks.
In a letter to the 800 fans who bought tickets for the match, club officials have urged them:
Not to wear club shirts or scarves
To avoid no-go areas – including the train station and the city centre
To congregate around the safer port area
And to use special shuttle buses being laid on from 5pm to take them to the stadium for Tuesday’s match
It is the first time City have issued such advice. The move comes after four Bayern Munich supporters were slashed with knives outside the Stadio San Paolo stadium before a Champions League match last month.
There were numerous reports of knife-weilding thugs on mopeds carrying out vicious assaults and two more German fans were stabbed in the city centre.
Last year three Liverpool fans were knifed - with two hospitalised - when they visited Naples to take on Napoli in the Europa League.
Worried Manchester City officials drew up the advice after meeting officials from police at home and in Italy.
The M.E.N. understands the club has also taken advice from the British consulate in Naples as well as Bayern, Liverpool and Manchester United - who sent out similar written guidelines before the Reds travelled to Rome in 2007.
City's letter – signed by operations manager Steve Sayer – says fans should 'take care and use common sense' and 'travel in groups where possible'.
It includes consulate advice to stay away from the 'no-go' areas and adds: “We would also advise you to not wear club colours away from the game, particularly when taking public transport.”
Tensions around the televised encounter are set to be high as defeat could see the Italians knocked out of the tournament.
No alcohol will be served inside the ground and Blues supporters will be locked in after the final whistle for 45 minutes.
Buses will again be waiting again to take them back to the port.
Photographic ID will be needed to gain entry along with a valid ticket.
