The ground will open to fans at 7.30pm, two hours before kick-off. There will be three ticket checks on the way into the stadium: the first will be a visual check for possession of a ticket for the England sector, which is in blocks 12 and 13 and which will be accessed via gates set aside for the use of away supporters only.
There will then be a queuing system to the barrier where the searches will be carried out, which will involve passing through airport-style metal detector arches and also the possible use of hand-held scanners. Clearly, if it’s possible to avoid taking bags etc into the ground this will speed up the process and make life easier all round.
We will then pass through into a sector of the outdoor concourse reserved exclusively for England fans, where we’ve been promised toilets and refreshments will be available. Tickets will be checked and torn at the entrances to the seated sectors 12 and 13.
The usual list of prohibited items will be in operation, which of course includes alcohol. We’ve been told that on matchday there will be no alcohol on sale within 500 metres of the stadium, although to be honest we weren’t quite sure how that could be enforced, as 500 metres would seem to cover a substantial chunk of the city centre, and certainly the Crowne Plaza hotel, where the England team and FA officials are staying.
There is limited space for hanging flags inside the England sector; the front perimeter fence seeming to be ruled out as it would obstruct the view of fans in the front few rows. We were told that there will be a line of police between the seated area and the rear fence, so that may also be problematic. The authorities did however say that it should be possible to display flags on the running track, and they have suggested that anyone wanting access to the stadium to take their flag in should report to the England entrance at block 12 / 13 at 6.30pm.
After the game, we’ve been told to expect to be held back inside the ground for about 15 to 20 minutes, presumably while the Belarus fans all get to the bar first.
