Meanwhile, police have suggested it would be better for fans coming to Gelsenkirchen for Sunday’s game to smoke cannabis than drink alcohol.
The Class B drug was legalised in Germany on April 1, although it will not be allowed inside the 62,000-seat Veltins Arena, nor in fan zones, bars or city squares.
Stephan Knipp, a spokesman for Gelsenkirchen police, 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.”
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, police warned anyone loading up on alcohol before Sunday’s game risked being refused entry.
Peter Both, Gelsenkirchen’s chief of police, also said he was expecting 20,000 England fans and half as many Serbia supporters had bought tickets for the match.
Ticketless Three Lions fans were urged to watch the game at a dedicated fan zone at the city’s racecourse, which Wessels said would be stocked with 32,000 tonnes of sausage, seven-and-a-half tonnes of chips and 80,000 litres of beer.
“We have the longest bar in Gelsenkirchen there, at 160 metres,” he added.
England supporters had already begun gathering on Friday evening at a bar at a fan meeting point in Gelsenkirchen’s central Heinrich-Konig-Platz, where they could be heard singing the likes of ‘Vindaloo’ and ‘Scotland get battered, everywhere they go’.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
