Charlton supporters will be aware that CAST produced a list of recommendations after the home game against Millwall on 13th September concerning crowd management. The report and recommendations were drawn up after listening to the experience of supporters of all ages and backgrounds, as well as engaging with the club and the police.
Read the post-Millwall recommendations here:
https://www.castrust.org/2025/09/cast-recommendations-following-millwall-match/
We are pleased to say that the club engaged positively with these recommendations at the Supporters’ Forum in October.
In the run-up to Millwall away, CAST has been in contact with the Metropolitan Police on the arrangements for our fixture at The Den. (Just a reminder on public safety matters that the police make 100% of the decisions - we can only point out concerns and things to think about.) We are urging the police to ensure matchday communications are issued by themselves, both clubs and supporter organisations to fans in advance. We will keep supporters up to date on the Millwall game via CAST’s social media channels.
CAST has also been in contact with the Met and the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) regarding the FA Cup game on 10th January. CST issued a letter (https://chelseasupporterstrust.com/wp-content/uploads/CST-Letter-to-MET-Police-January-26.pdf) calling for an enquiry following the game and it has been reported that the police have commissioned one. CAST supports the CST request.
In advance of the game, clubs and fans were advised that the police did not have plans for any special arrangements. Then a late decision was made to hold Chelsea fans back for over half an hour in Valley Grove in freezing temperatures which resulted in considerable distress to many Chelsea supporters, including disabled fans, families and elderly fans.
Charlton Athletic has a well-deserved reputation as a friendly and welcoming place to come and watch football. CAST are committed to do our bit in upholding this - and to determine how CAST’s post-Millwall recommendations were executed on the night of the Chelsea game and whether they could they have been executed better. Keeping in mind the welcomed recommendations from the Millwall game particularly around egress points and communication, CAST board members will seek clarification from the club and answers from the police on the following matters:
- How did the club and police inform fans during and immediately post-match of the changed egress arrangements? (E.g. were the big screen and digital boards used to communicate the information? Were there repeated, audible tannoy announcements?)
- How were the stewards briefed on the changed egress arrangements? Therefore, how did they assist and direct the fans as they left the stadium?
- Where were the police officers deployed at egress points and outside the stadium?
- How did those police officers communicate and execute the egress arrangements to supporters? (CAST is aware that no loud hailer announcements were made.)
- What led the police to change their initial plans on the evening itself and what can be done to avoid a recurrence?
It has been reported in The Guardian that the police have commissioned a full and independent review with the UK Football Policing Unit. CAST trusts that the answers to our questions and those raised by Chelsea Supporters Trust will be answered transparently and comprehensively by the review. To that end CAST has written to the police asking them to share the review’s terms of reference.
If you witnessed anything around the Chelsea match that you feel may be relevant to the enquiry, please email secretary@castrust.org.
CAST will continue to make sure that Charlton Athletic fans are updated on these matters.
If you are not already one of the 2500 Addicks who are members of CAST you can join here for just £5 per year: