Greg Gillin, one of the specialists in charge of maintaining order at London’s Wembley Stadium, says security at Mexican soccer stadiums can be improved, even though alcohol consumption during matches is low, according to an article from Fox News Latino and EFE.
Gillin and Patrick Carr, another security specialist with the English Premier League, visited several Mexican stadiums and observed a few matches during the semifinals of the Apertura 2012 tournament to learn more about the security there, the article says.
While alcohol sales – which are prohibited at UK soccer matches – stood out, few fans seemed to be drinking excessively and, unlike in the UK, it is possible in Mexico to enjoy a match in a family atmosphere, Gillin says in a Monday press conference.
“The level of disorder is low and there are fans of different teams sitting together in the stands, something that is unthinkable in the United Kingdom,” Gillin says in the article.
Mexico, however, fails to comply with many international standards and should work to improve in certain areas, such as the excessive capacity of some stadiums, the size of emergency exits, ensuring that emergency exits are not blocked by cleaning equipment and other items, and regulating the scalping of tickets, Gillin says, according to the Fox article.