Police Horse Injured at Wembley; 51 Arrests Made During FA Cup Event
Wembley Stadium has reported that 51 arrests were made during the FA Cup semi-final weekend, with incidents including a fan being arrested for harming a police horse. Supporters of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Coventry attended the games, with the two Manchester clubs ultimately advancing to the final. Despite the excitement of the matches, the weekend was marked by several disturbances inside and outside the stadium, leading to multiple arrests by the Metropolitan Police.
Nearly half of the arrests were related to pyrotechnics, tailgating, and hate crimes, while over a fifth were for drug-related offenses. With Wembley set to host the upcoming Champions League final, the stadium and law enforcement are working to ensure a safe environment for all attending following previous incidents at major events. The police made 28 arrests at the Chelsea v Manchester City match and 23 at the Coventry City v Manchester United game.
Various offenses were reported, including tragedy chanting, homophobic abuse, and assaults on emergency workers. Superintendent Gerry Parker emphasized a zero-tolerance approach to drug use, assaults, and hate crimes, noting the cooperation between law enforcement, Wembley, the FA, and UEFA to maintain safety at the upcoming FA Cup and Champions League finals.
