The West Ham Supporters' Trust have been kind enough to share with us the following information, for any fans attending the game on Sunday.

Sunday afternoon’s FA cup match against Leeds United has all the potential to be an intense, closely fought tie.

In these complicated times, we are living with a reinvigorated COVID-19 virus thanks to the Omicron variant and we have moved to the restrictions under the Government’s Plan B. This has implications for all match goers.

Combined with 8,500 Leeds United fans and a lively rivalry, we felt we should speak with those in charge of making sure Sunday afternoon goes smoothly.

On 29th December, members of West Ham United Supporters’ Trust Board met with representatives from the Metropolitan Police, South Yorkshire Police, West Ham United, LS185, and Leeds United Supporters to discuss plans for the game.

There is some important information to pass on ahead of the match:

TIMINGS

Note that kick off is at 14:00 and not 14:15 as originally specified when the date was announced. With the recent decision to cancel FA Cup replays for the 3rd and 4th rounds, this means that should the scores be level, then extra time and possible penalties will take place.

You are advised to arrive early for the match to ensure that you have enough time to go through security and any Covid checks.

COVID CHECKS

Testing

First and foremost, it is now compulsory to show proof of either double vaccination OR a negative lateral flow test in order to gain entry to the stadium.

Any supporter unable to show either their vaccination status or confirmation of a negative test when asked to do so will be turned away from the ground.

Please take it upon yourself to have either of these ready, or proof of a valid medical exemption if applicable. WHUFC is extremely clear as to what constitutes proof, so please check the list on their Hammers Hub Covid section.

https://www.whufc.com/club-foundation/fans/hammers-hub/covid19-status-guidance

Declaration form

All ticket holders will also have been asked to complete a declaration form. Leeds United supporters should fill in their own form which can be found here.

Please make sure this is completed in good time ahead of the match.

There will be increased spot checks and clubs are now required to refuse entrance to any fan unable to show their status. This is not a WHUFC decision or choice. It is now a legal requirement, so please work with the COVID marshalls to make the best of a difficult situation.

Face coverings

Please note you are required by law to wear a face covering when indoors and in crowded, enclosed areas within the stadium unless you have a recognised exemption according to Government guidelines.

You may remove your face covering in order to eat and drink. It is also strongly advised that supporters wear a face covering when seated in the stadium bowl.

Leeds United will be bringing a team of their own stewards to the game who will be on hand to answer any queries from visiting fans regarding COVID checks.

Remember:

Test Declaration Face covering

TRANSPORT AND ROAD CLOSURES

There is engineering work planned on the Leeds main line into Kings Cross with no direct trains operating on that day. Underground and Overground lines are operating as normal with no planned closures or service reductions.

However, fans are strongly urged to check routes before leaving for the match and to be wary of last-minute service cancellations should COVID cases result in a shortage of drivers and other key staff.

With 8,500 travelling supporters, there are going to be some logistical problems with transport. Based on the number of booked coaches and with no direct trains, it is estimated that there will be over 4,000 away fans travelling by car.

The London Stadium has been designated as a ‘public transport destination’, which in other words means that people driving by car to the venue are actively discouraged. In practice, this means:

● An extensive Controlled Parking Zone is put in place around the area of the stadium on match days, meaning that you need to have a permit to park in the street.

● Mountfichet Road, Westfield Avenue and roads around Pudding Mill Lane DLR will be closed to traffic from 11:00am until approximately 1 hour after the match finishes.

The only suitable parking near to the Stadium is at the Westfield Shopping Centre. Parking costs £10 on a Sunday for 3 to 6 hours. The car parks get extremely busy with shoppers let alone supporters so be prepared that the car parks might be full. Also expect it to take at least 1 hour from the time you get back to your car to just leave the car parks on a match day.

If you still wish to drive then here car directions to the London Stadium:

● Leave the M25 at Junction 27 and take the M11 towards London.

● At the end of the M11 motorway keep in the left hand lane and follow the signs for the North Circular A406 (S) (A12, A13).

● At the bottom of the flyover where the roads merge, move into the left-hand lane for the A12.

● At the roundabout - “Redbridge Roundabout” - take the fourth exit onto the A12 towards Central London and Stratford.

● Keep straight on the A12 for around four miles At this point you should be able to see the Velodrome building over on your left.

● Exit here onto the A106 signposted Stratford and Westfield.

● At the bottom of the slip road at the traffic lights, take the left hand filter lane, towards Stratford and Westfield.

● Continue along this road and you will reach the stadium on the right and the Westfield Centre on the left.

● Just before the Westfield Shopping Centre you will reach a set of traffic lights, where you turn left for the Westfield Car Park, A,B & C, which are clearly signposted from this point.

You are advised not to park at Westfield but to park at stations further out and complete your journey by train/tube. With at least 1,000 cars coming from the North of England, not knowing any of the other local parking spots, Westfield car parks are going to be fairly chaotic.

If you are coming to London from the North by car, the following Underground stations are easily navigable from the A1(M) and M1 motorways and have a large number of car parking spaces:

○ Cockfosters

■ Leave the M25 at junction 24

■ Take the exit for Stagg Hill (A111) towards Cockfosters and Barnet

■ Follow the A111 about 2.3 miles and Cockfosters station is on the left

○ Stanmore

■ From the M1 southbound, leave the M1 at junction 4 towards Harrow and Edgware

■ From the M25:

● Leave at junction 21A and take the exit for the North Orbital Road (A405) towards Watford;

● Leave the A405 after about 500 yards and join the M1 at junction 6 (then leave the M1 at junction 4)

■ At the first roundabout, turn right onto Spur Road (A410)

■ Continue along the A410 for about 1 mile and Stanmore station is on the left - the car park is just before the station.

○ Woodford

■ Leave the M25 at junction 26 and head for the A121 towards Woodford

■ At the Wake Arms Roundabout, take the 4th exit onto Epping New Road (A104)

■ Continue about 3 miles along the A104 then turn right into Snakes Lane West

■ Proceed about along Snakes Lane West until you reach the Broadway

■ Woodford Station is on the right

○ Epping

■ Leave the M25 at junction 26 and head for the A121 towards Woodford

■ At the Wake Arms Roundabout, take the first exit towards Epping (Epping Road, B1393)

■ Proceed 2.6 miles along Epping Road

■ About 200 yards beyond the Tesco Superstore is a mini-roundabout. Turn right at the roundabout.

■ Proceed 0.3 miles along Station Road. Epping Station is on the right just before the bridge.

You can use these stations to get the Underground to Stratford or Underground / Overground to Hackney Wick, changing at Highbury and Islington.

There is also limited street parking on a Sunday also available near to Redbridge and Snaresbrook Underground stations.

You are advised not to park at Waltham Cross, Enfield or Cheshunt as these are on direct lines to Tottenham who are also playing at the same time.

Supporters are also reminded that the London Stadium is served by several stations, with the nearest being Stratford, Stratford International, Hackney Wick and Pudding Mill Lane. Please check alternative routes for leaving should there be subsequent issues with their arrival route.

If you have travelled into Kings Cross by train, the quickest way to the London Stadium is by the High Speed Train from St Pancras:

● From Kings Cross follow the signs to St Pancras and Pancras Road exit.

● St. Pancras station is opposite. Turn right and walk down past the Victorian Gothic part of the station to the new part where the High Speed Trains depart from.

● Trains are every 15 minutes and the journey takes 6 minutes to Stratford International.

Notes:

● If you have bought a train ticket through to Stratford International, then only tickets that specify the route as “Plus High Speed” or “Any Permitted” are valid without a supplement. Otherwise tickets from St. Pancras to Stratford International cost £7.00 one-way and £8.60 return.

● You do not have to buy a physical ticket to use these fares as Oyster and Contactless cards are valid at the barriers. Simply tap your contactless card at the barrier when entering and leaving the stations.

● Make sure that you use the same card each time otherwise you will be charged more for ‘incomplete journeys’.

The main transport hub is Stratford station which is served by 8 different rail lines so please expect it to be busy.

On arrival at Stratford you will be directed towards the London Stadium, although supporters may go into the Westfield Shopping Centre.

POLICING AND STEWARDING

This has been classified as a High-Risk match by both the Metropolitan Police and the British Transport Police. Consequently, there will be an increased steward presence inside the stadium. There will also be a police presence inside the stadium to handle any flashpoints.

The Met will be utilising horses and dogs on the stadium footprint.

WHUFC response team supervisors will be wearing body cameras to protect both the stewarding staff and supporters inside the stadium.

There are no specific plans to escort Leeds United fans to the stadium, but the police will react to the circumstances on the day.

WHUFC stewards and Met police will provide as much information on the ground as possible for supporters unsure of the best way to reach their entrance.

Leeds United has an allocation of 8,500 tickets for this match: around 14% of stadium capacity:

● Away fans will be located in the entire Sir Trevor Brooking stand - both lower and upper tiers.

● An extended segregation line will be in place between the away allocation and West Ham supporters, which will be operated by double the number of stewards initially with the option to include police, if necessary.

Only bags of size A4 or smaller will be permitted into the stadium, so please only bring such essential belongings that can be carried on your person. Medical exemptions apply.

Only folding umbrellas are allowed past security - if you have a ‘golf’ type umbrella, then expect to have to leave it in a pile at the security point but this is entirely at your own risk as the security staff are not responsible for looking after it.

FOOD AND DRINK

Within Westfield Shopping Centre there are a number of restaurants and a food court with the usual fast food outlets. There are also a couple of bars - however you may not get in if you are wearing away colours.

All local pubs welcome Home fans only, and all will be operating usual Sunday licensing hours. There is no designated Away fans pub. Many away fans travelling by train drink in the Kings Cross area before the match and the police expect this and they will have a presence in that area.

At the Stadium there are many food and drink provisions both inside and on the outside concourse after you have gone through security. Inside the Stadium there are a number of catering outlets serving a variety of food and a number of bars, including pop-up ones serving draft and bottled beers. All bottled drinks will be dispensed into a recyclable plastic or paper container.

Prior to the match “Pie and a Pint” (or soft drink) deals will be available inside the Stadium from 12:30 when the turnstiles open, until 13:15, providing there are no incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Note, the London Stadium is “cashless” with payments only accepted by card.

TICKETING

In WHUFC safety briefings, we have been assured that stewards will be reminded of the need to refuse access to any fan visibly wearing Leeds United colours in home areas and also to remove away fans drawing attention to themselves in home areas throughout the match. The strict policy is to remove such away fans from the Stadium and not to relocate them to the away section.

This will be cascaded down through the stewards' briefings to ensure front line staff are fully aware of process and procedure.

EGRESS

After the match, the away fans area on the island will be fenced off covering the whole of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand. This means that there will be no access to the Stadium Store after the match.

Away fans will be directed away from the Stadium towards the away coach parks. Once clear of the Stadium those fans for Stratford, Stratford International and Westfield will be directed towards Stratford. Due to the volume of people using Stratford station and to prevent overcrowding there will be a managed egress involving hold-and-release points to manage crowd flows on the walk.

Finally…

We hope Sunday afternoon is a New Year cracker for us and that the match goes off without incident off the pitch, but of course we expect plenty of on-pitch action!

If you do experience any difficulties at the game, please speak with your closest steward initially or text the Stadium Reporting Line on 078600 404 069 with details of the behaviour and location.

https://www.london-stadium.com/plan-your-visit/safety-and-security.html

West Ham United Supporters’ Trust