UK police do not expect trouble at Argentina match

June 5, 2002

SAPPORO, Japan, June 5 (Reuters) - England fans are not expected to cause serious trouble at Friday's World Cup match against Argentina in Sapporo and the game is considered to be "low-risk," a senior British policeman said on Wednesday.

Ron Hogg, a hooligan specialist from England's Durham police, told reporters in the northern Japanese city that most of the visiting English supporters will be "good fans" and said he was confident local police would handle the situation smoothly.

"We do not consider the game here on Friday against Argentina to be a particularly high-risk match, we feel it still to be a low-risk category match," Hogg told a news conference in Sapporo, located on the island of Hokkaido 800 kms north of Tokyo.

Japanese media have dubbed Sapporo the "most dangerous" of the 10 venues in Japan due to the group F clash between Argentina and England, whose fans have a reputation for causing trouble.

Hogg said some 6,000 English fans with tickets, and about 1,000 without, were likely to travel to Sapporo for the match.

More than 8,500 supporters have already arrived in Japan from England, and many of them attended Sunday's 1-1 draw against Sweden in Saitama.

Hogg said none of the English fans have been arrested so far for violence or drunkenness, adding that the Japanese police have done a good job dealing with them.

"I am very satisfied...I must pay a compliment to the professionalism of Japanese police both in Tokyo and Saitama where the English fans have already been," he said.

The Japanese police have carried out an efficient operation, even using English in dealing with the fans, which has helped them feel welcome, Hogg added.

"We have every confidence that they will continue to be as successful as their colleagues in both Tokyo and Saitama," he said, referring to the police in Sapporo.

England will complete their group games against Nigeria on June 12 in Osaka.