Football fans 'set to be threatened with stadium eviction' ahead of England clash with Latvia

WATCH NOW: Sports round-up as England prepare for Latvia match

Jack Otway

By Jack Otway


Published: 24/03/2025

- 15:55

The Three Lions will be hoping to win their second match under Thomas Tuchel, having beaten Albania 2-0 on Friday

The Football Association is set to strengthen its messaging on wearing away team colours in home sections at Wembley Stadium.

This follows an incident where hundreds of Albania supporters watched their team from areas designated for England fans during a recent international match.


The FA plans to warn ticket buyers they will be ejected if spotted in England sections whilst wearing opposition colours, according to the Daily Mail.

England secured a straightforward 2-0 victory in the fixture on Friday, which was Thomas Tuchel's first game in charge.

England Latvia

Football news: The Football Association is set to strengthen its messaging on wearing away team colours in home sections at Wembley Stadium

GETTY

Despite the lack of serious trouble during the match, significant numbers of opposition fans wearing Albanian colours were visible in home areas.

This prompted England supporters to take to social media to complain of a 'takeover'.

Some fans described seeing 'absolutely tonnes' of Albanian supporters in sections reserved for England fans.

The situation has raised concerns about the effectiveness of current measures to separate home and away supporters at Wembley.

JUST IN: Tiger Woods branded 'ridiculous' after announcing relationship with Vanessa Trump as comment sparks backlash

Football news England Latvia

Football news: A small number of Albania fans were able to sit in the England end on Friday

GETTY

It's now been said that FA officials will now write to anyone who buys a ticket with a clear warning.

The message will state that fans spotted in England sections whilst wearing the colours of their opponents will be ejected from the stadium.

This strengthened approach comes in addition to existing ground rules that are already printed on tickets.

The FA is determined to ensure better separation between home and away supporters at future matches.

READ MORE:Judd Trump makes complaint after losing Players Championship final clash with Kyren Wilson

Ahead of the match, the FA worked closely with their Albanian counterparts and allocated 5,600 tickets to visiting fans.

This represents one of the largest allocations for a visiting side since the new Wembley opened.

Those involved in the security operation for the fixture were satisfied with how events unfolded on the night.

They had planned in advance for the possibility of Albanian supporters in England areas.

Security officials believe that fewer than 1,000 Albanian fans managed to buy tickets in home sections.

LATEST SPORTS NEWS:

One of the key issues in this complex situation is the ticket purchasing process.

To buy tickets in home sections, buyers need only provide proof of an English address.

Despite regularly selling out for England matches, Wembley's 90,000-capacity means tickets are often relatively straightforward to obtain.

England's new manager Thomas Tuchel was far from impressed with the team's performance against Albania.

"We weren't disciplined in the structure," he said.

Football news Thomas Tuchel

Football news: Thomas Tuchel will be hoping to win his second match as England manager on Friday

PA

"We tried a little bit too much alone and out of possession."

Tuchel expressed frustration with England's play in the final third.

"I had the feeling there was more frustration in the second half, we couldn't play in our structure and it became more complicated."

He remained optimistic, adding: "We'll get better. We'll understand better and I'll understand the players better."