The Metropolitan Police have requested that the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Chelsea on the 25th of February be moved forward to an earlier timeslot due from its current 4:30pm timeslot due to it sitting in the ‘high risk’ category.
The two teams met in a couple of showcase finals two years ago with the Carabao Cup final kicking off at 4:30pm while the FA Cup final kicked off 15 minutes later.
The Met released a statement (per the Echo) which outlined the process.
“Preparations for the EFL Cup policing operation are underway following the conclusion of the two semi-finals and we are working with partners including the Wembley Stadium, local authority and EFL on agreeing the kick off time.
“Our partners are aware this match qualifies as a ‘high-risk’ fixture and in accordance with national guidance from the UK Football Policing Unit, this fixture should kick off no later than 3pm.”
It is thought that the EFL were initially standing by their preference for a 4:30pm kick off due to their contract with Sky Sports, but sources on both sides have indicated that a compromise is likely with the game being brought forward.
It also has to be noted that when Liverpool and Chelsea met in the two cup finals that no major disturbances were reported, but on a wider scale, incidents are said to be up in the last few years which has led to the more conservative approach in these matters.
There is a recent precedent for authorities requesting a showcase fixture to be moved from its proposed kick-off time with last years FA Cup final between the two Manchester clubs being moved to a 3pm kick-off, the first time it had been in that timeslot since 2011.
And Liverpool’s clash with City at the Etihad Stadium on November 25th was switched from a 5:30pm KO to a 12:30pm start due to objections from Greater Manchester Police citing previous incidents between the two sets of fans.
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