Fans flock to Hyundai Fan Park for next England fixture

With England’s next World Cup fixture against Algeria taking place on Friday evening, even more people are expected to head to the Hyundai Fan Park at Castlefield Arena.

Local residents have praised the city council for putting on a fantastic facility.

The clear message for Friday's match is that antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated.

More than 10,000 people headed to the fan park for England's first match against the USA last weekend and fans were praised for the good atmosphere that largely dominated.

One minor incident was dealt with quickly by police, and security is being stepped up on Friday to make it clear that troublemakers will not be welcome.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, executive member for culture and leisure said: "There was a good atmosphere on Saturday night. These are decent Manchester people celebrating in their own city and it worked very well. There was one small incident, which saw a small number of troublemakers arrested immediately but as you would expect, everyone else just came to watch the match and have a good time. Feedback from those who attended was very positive and hopefully on Friday, we'll even get the right result on the pitch!"

Carol Middleton, chair of the Castlefield Residents' Forum said: " The world cup screenings have been very well organised and we're really enjoying them. Everyone's really getting into the spirit of it and even though there were one or two yobs on Saturday night they were removed very quickly. I'd say to anyone, do come down on Friday as there really is a lovely atmosphere and it's a great way to watch the matches."

Some changes have been made to the site for Friday's game to help improve the experience for fans. More box offices, for ticket collection only, have been introduced and will be located in the Roman Gardens on Liverpool Road (at the side of the White Lion Pub) to avoid lengthy queues. There will also be signs and security directing people to all the different entrances to assist access to the three screen locations within the Fan Park.

Once inside, the token system at the bars has been removed to save fans having to queue up twice and drinks will no longer be served in plastic bottles, instead being served in lightweight plastic glasses.

The beach area has also been extended, as this is proving a popular area for families in particular and will provide more space for them away from the standing room in front of the main screen. There will also be extra security staff at the beach and elsewhere in the Fan Park to ensure that any issues can be swiftly dealt with.

People are once again advised that they will not be permitted to take their own alcohol into the site and that anyone turning up to the area clearly worse-for-wear will not be admitted.

Councillor Mike Amesbury added: "Our priority is to keep everyone safe at the site and we're taking a no nonsense approach. Of all the alcohol and football-related arrests across the city on Saturday night, those at the fan park were the fewest in number.

"And if you are drunk or don't have a pre-booked ticket, don't even bother turning up - you won't get in."

There are CCTV cameras covering the entire Fan Park to ensure that anyone who tries to spoil the fans' experience will be quickly identified and removed. They also risk being made the subject of a Football Banning Order, which will not only bar them from any more matches at the Fan Park, but also from football grounds.

Access to the Hyundai Fan Park at Castlefield for England matches is strictly by ticket only and must be pre-booked.  Anyone without a ticket will not be permitted entry.

Tickets are available from www.quaytickets.com  or by calling 0843 208 0500 and are limited to four tickets per household. They will be available to collect at the box offices on Liverpool Road.

Tickets are free of charge but there will be an admin fee of £1.50 per order to cover costs.