UK Imposes Travel Ban on Man City, Chelsea Fans for World Cup
By Ben Ezeamalu
LONDON (Reuters) -Around 150 Manchester City and Chelsea fans who have a history of violent conduct will be banned from travelling during the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States this summer, Britain's interior ministry said on Wednesday.
To help prevent soccer-related disorder at the tournament, fans of the clubs who are already subject to a football banning order for previous thuggish behaviour will be forced to surrender their passports to the police from June 9-July 13.
"Many Manchester City and Chelsea fans will want to travel to support their teams in this summer's tournament and we want them all to do so safely and enjoyably," Policing Minister Diana Johnson said in a statement.
"But for the tiny minority of troublemakers who use football as an excuse for criminality, we will be applying the same proven preventative measures that we have successfully done for other overseas tournaments."
The fans in question will be contacted by the Football Banning Orders Authority, the statement said, adding that failure to comply with the rule could result in an unlimited fine or a possible six-month prison sentence.
There were 2,172 football banning orders in force in England and Wales, according to data from last year.
(Reporting by Ben Ezeamalu; editing by Sarah Young and Christian Radnedge)
