Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis has given independent oversight to the operational review into the disorder at the Port Vale v Wolves match on 31 August.
Mr Ellis said: “After the match, people contacted me with concerns about what happened on the day and I pledged to ensure a senior staff member from my office sat in on the operational review that the police had already planned to undertake.
“I gave assurances that there would be independent oversight into the review which has looked at areas where the police will be doing things differently in the future.
“From the structured de-brief will be a detailed and comprehensive review into every aspect of the operation which will be completed in the next few weeks.
“We expect areas such as the communication with fans, the effectiveness of the club’s stewarding and the dispersal of fans, including the use of police dogs, to be the focus of the report. It will also look at how the club can play a more productive role in dealing with some of the issues associated with certain fans’ behaviour.
“It is my role to provide confidence to the public that the police are acting in an honest and open way and that the findings of their formal review ensure that any changes that need to happen do take place.
“I am satisfied that the police have carried out an honest and open review. This will outline several areas where they will modify their operational approach to high-profile fixtures, as well as forming the basis for discussion on how the club can assist police better in keeping fans safe and ensuring appropriate behaviour.”
