POLICE have stepped up security across Atlanta as the city prepares to host England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina – a fixture fans have said has “so much history and so much rivalry”.
The Atlanta Police Department said extra officers and resources had already been deployed around the city before Wednesday’s match, with increased patrols planned around the Mercedes-Benz Stadium as well as “entertainment districts and other high-traffic areas”.
The move comes as thousands of England and Argentina supporters are set to descend on the city for the first World Cup knockout meeting between the nations since David Beckham’s red card in England’s dramatic last-16 exit in 1998.
A statement from the Atlanta Police Department said: “As Atlanta prepares to host an upcoming Fifa World Cup semi-final match and welcomes increased numbers of residents and visitors, the Atlanta Police Department has enhanced its citywide public safety and security posture.
“Additional personnel and resources are already deployed and will continue to be strategically assigned in and around the event venues, entertainment districts and other high-traffic areas to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.
“These proactive measures are designed to protect the public, deter criminal activity and ensure residents and visitors can safely enjoy this historic event.”
England supporter Rob Osborn said the fixture still carried the weight of decades of history, including Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 World Cup.
Speaking in Atlanta on Monday, the fan from Stoke Golding, Leicestershire, told the PA news agency: “Yeah, there’s so much history and so much rivalry – going back to 1986.
“If we can stop the Argentinians from cheating, like they have done in this tournament again, but with the hand of Fifa, then I think we might have a shot.
“I think we’ve got to have luck on our side, but we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes.”
Asked whether victory would finally lay some of the rivalry to rest, he said: “It will close the book on it, won’t it?
“The Azteca, we weren’t there, but it would have been amazing to experience that.
“If the guys can get us over the line of ticking that box and closing the mouths, then it’s that voodoo being put to bed.”
Ahead of the semi final, the police officer responsible for the UK’s football policing said England supporters at the tournament had been "exemplary", contrasting their behaviour with more than 500 reported incidents and more than 100 arrests across the UK during the same evening, most of them alcohol-related.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts of Cheshire Police, the UK’s football policing lead, urged supporters watching Wednesday’s match at home to follow the example set by fans travelling in the US.
The match also comes against the backdrop of renewed political tension over the Falkland Islands after Downing Street rejected claims by Argentina’s foreign minister that the islanders were an “artificially implanted” population.
Downing Street insisted the islanders are British and have the right to determine their own future, with Keir Starmer’s spokesman saying football “should be about the game and about bringing people together”.
