‘High alert’ cops brace for riots at start of football season with ‘crossover’ of far-right thugs & footie yobs probed
COPS are on “high alert” for more riots at the start of the football season – probing a “crossover” of far-right thugs and footie yobs.
The Sun revealed this week that far-right agitators plan to unleash fresh chaos as the new English football season kicks off this weekend.
Now cops are probing links between football hooligan firms and the far right underworld.
Do you know more? Email Harry Goodwin: harry.goodwin@the-sun.co.uk
Officers believe there is a “crossover” between the two, The Times reports.
The National Police Co-ordination Centre is working with football chiefs, stadium security and stewards to stop any flare-ups.
Last night PM Keir Starmer warned an emergency Cobra meeting that cops need to “maintain high alert”.
It comes after The Sun revealed far-right yobs are planning 11 MORE riots in secret Facebook groups so cops’ “can’t catch on”.
Protests are planned in Ballymena, Newcastle, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, Salford, Taunton, Birmingham, Dover, Bournemouth and Glasgow.
A post in a private far-right Facebook group seen by The Sun lists planned demonstrations across the UK this weekend.
The organisers plan to unleash chaos on the opening gameweek of the new English football season – before carrying on into next month.
They also plan to target Shrewsbury during the town’s Flower Show, one of the biggest gardening events in the UK.
The far-right thugs plan to start the weekend of chaos by gathering in Ballymena in Northern Ireland on Friday evening.
On Saturday far-right protesters aim to assemble in Liverpool, Shrewsbury and Salford.
Protests are planned in Taunton, Birmingham and Dover the following Saturday and in Bournemouth the day after.
And even more protests are planned next month at UK landmarks like St George’s Square in Glasgow and the Bullring in Birmingham.
The large protest in Shrewsbury is being arranged by members of the local hooligan firm English Border Front, it’s understood.
A source told The Sun: “So far this protest has been kept off social media so as to make police unaware, and think that nothing is going to happen in Shrewsbury.
“But as you can imagine if they manage to pull the wool over the authorities’ eyes, it will cause carnage.
“On August 10 there is also the Shrewsbury Flower Show taking place, so the protest has been planned to try to affect that also.”
At least 250 thugs are thought to have signed up for the Shrewsbury protest – including hooligans from firms in Newcastle and Oldham.
A private post promoting the Shrewsbury protest reads: “Saturday 10th August Shrewsbury Town Centre Square – Fight For Our Children 1pm.”
West Mercia Police said: “There is no confirmed intelligence of any planned unlawful activity over the coming days in our force area.
“But we remain vigilant, prepared, and confident in our ability to respond.”
PM Keir Starmer held another emergency Cobra meeting last night over fears of new riots.
He told cops and Whitehall officials to “maintain high alert”, it is understood.
Full timeline as violent riots sweep across Britain
Monday, July 29
Three young girls are stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop in Southport.
Tuesday, July 30
Police vans are set on fire as cops clash with rioters outside a mosque in Southport.
Shocking footage shows bottles and bricks being thrown at cops as other projectiles hurtled through the air.
Wednesday, July 31
Riots spread to Hartlepool and Manchester on Wednesday, where a number of arrests are made.
Footage showed multiple stand-offs between officers and hundreds of thugs.
Hundreds also gather outside Downing Street in a protest promoted by Tommy Robinson.
Arrests are also made at the Cenotaph.
Thursday, August 1
Chilling footage emerges showing showing a thug punching a “black or ethnic” man in the face as Hartlepool again erupts into violence.
Yobs are also seen torching a police car and hurling bricks at cops.
Friday, August 2
A police station erupts into flames after rioting thugs torch cars and attack cops in another night of carnage.
Eight people are arrested and three police officers taken to hospital after an outburst of terrifying violence in Sunderland.
Saturday, August 3
Battles break out across at least nine cities as angry thugs ransack shops.
Huge groups of rioters descend on Liverpool, Manchester, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Hull, Blackpool, Bristol, Belfast Stoke, Nottingham and Leeds.
Looters are pictured grabbing wine bottles, shoes and phones from the shelves of high street shops after brazen yobs smashed windows and started fires.
Sunday, August 4
A migrant hotel in Rotherham is petrol bombed by rioters, with footage also showing masked yobs kicking out windows
Another Holiday Inn where asylum seekers are thought to stay is petrol bombed in Tamworth, Staffordshire, as those inside watched through windows.
Monday, August 5
Riots break out in Plymouth,. Birmingham, Darlington and Belfast.
In Burnley, gravestones in a Muslim cemetery are vandalised in what the town’s council leader called an “evil act” by “heinous individuals”.
Sunday, August 6
Dozens of protesters are hauled before courts and convicted over their involvement in the riots.
Meanwhile, a war of words breaks out between Elon Musk and Sir Keir Starmer after the former criticises British cops