Chelsea away allocation set at 5,200

Chelsea have been given an away allocation of 5,200 for the EFL cup game on Wednesday 26 October  just 500 seats under the 10% EFL cup requirement.

It was was thought that the London Stadium Security Advisory Group (SAG) which includes the Metropolitan Police would look to drastically reduce the away allocation on safety grounds but that has not been the case.

There has been clashes with away fans during the Watford premier league game due to poor segregation within the stadium as well further  clashes outside the stadium at the Bournemouth and Middlesborough Premier league games.

Part of the problem is one of geography of the London Stadium and the vast surrounding area to cover, it is logistically difficult to separate away and home on the mass exit of 57,000 fans.

One suggestion is to keep away fans behind a period of time to allow the majority of home fans to disperse but the police are known not to favor this tactic. The evening Chelsea game has the extra complication of being a London derby and a evening game with possible extra time and penalties meaning keeping Chelsea fans behind could be impractical.

On Saturday some West Ham home fans had their exit blocked by stewards and police to allow Middlesborough away fans to leave causing extra frustration.

The game is likely to rated to a category C+ high risk with a heavy police presence both inside and outside the stadium. Stadium owners are expected to have a temporary radio in place by then to solve a small number of reception black spots.