West Ham United have revealed that an increased security and police presence will be present at future home games following trouble at the weekend.
The London Stadium side witnessed a number of unsavoury incidents on the terraces of the Hammers’ new home in the 4-2 defeat to Watford, with fans turning on one another, the club’s executives and the opposition supporters.
West Ham have pledged to hand down lifetime bans for those caught up in the controversy, which has blighted the east London club’s move to their new stadium somewhat.
The violence follows on from Hammers fans attacking the Manchester United team bus ahead of a Premier League game last year.
As such, the Premier League club have put out an official statement detailing that security is paramount in future fixtures and measures are being taken to ensure that a repeat of the Watford clash is not seen in the future.
“West Ham United undertook a full investigation into the crowd issues immediately after Saturday’s game with Watford and today held a productive meeting with stadium owners E20,” a statement on the club’s website reads.
“Whilst West Ham United do not hold the Safety Certificate (this is held by stadium operators LS185) or control the security at the stadium, the club is doing everything possible within its jurisdiction to help provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all supporters.
“The club have also specified a number of essential important improvements to match day operations moving forward, including the need for LS185 to bolster the stewarding and security operation in terms of numbers, but also in terms of the level training and experience they have dealing with Premier League football matches.”
