Police warning as Aston Villa and Birmingham City to play at home on same night

The fixture clash is very rare and has led to safety concerns over supporters mingling before and after the two games

A major police operation is planned when Aston Villa and Birmingham City both play home matches on the same night later this month. Extra officers will be drafted in as police warned fans they would be dispersed or arrested if trouble broke out.

It has been exceptionally rare for the two rivals to play home games on the same day in recent years and fixtures between the two sides have been heavily policed. But Villa will host Italian side Bologna on matchday three of the Champions League, at Villa Park, from 8pm, on Tuesday, October 22.

Blues will play a League One game against Bolton Wanderers, from 7.45pm, at St. Andrew's on the same evening. West Midlands Police said there would be additional officers within the city throughout the day to keep people safe. Police said anyone behaving in an antisocial manner would be dispersed while anyone committing crime would be arrested.

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Supt Jack Hadley told BirminghamLive: “We are used to dealing with large events including high-profile football matches and have a plan in place to allow fans to enjoy the game safely and keep the wider public safe. Having Bologna visit our city is a real celebration and a great opportunity to show off what our city has to offer.

“There will be additional officers within the city throughout the day to ensure all visitors are kept safe. I encourage anyone to engage with officers and say hello. Although we are not anticipating any issues, officers will deal with anyone not behaving as expected in a positive manner.

“Anyone behaving antisocially can expect to be dispersed from the city, and anyone committing criminal offences can expect to be arrested. We are really looking forward to being able to demonstrate the very best of British policing to all our visiting fans.”

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