Arsenal fans fear more violence

Danish police will aim to keep rival fans apart

Arsenal fans flying from Stansted Airport to Copenhagen for Wednesday night's Uefa Cup final have expressed fears about more violence.

Several believe much bad feeling remains towards Galatasaray after the recent fatal stabbings in Istanbul of two Leeds United fans.

I think we are going to be looking over our shoulder

Arsenal fan Senan Corry

The English man stabbed during clashes in Copenhagen between Arsenal and Galatasaray fans is recovering in hospital from injuries no longer thought to be life-threatening.

Another Arsenal fan awaiting his Stansted flight to Copenhagen, Senan Corry, 36, from Chelmsford, Essex, said he was wary of what to expect in Denmark.

'Good day out'

He said: "We were worried this morning when the message came through about the stabbing. It does worry you.

"We want to have a good day out, enjoy the game and hopefully we will win.

"But there has been so much hype because of what happened with Leeds that it does make you wary. I think we are going to be looking over our shoulder.

"If you want to get involved in trouble you know where to go and I think there will be people who want to do that."

What worries us is that the English people might be singled out

Arsenal fan Martin Ambrose

His friend Martin Ambrose, 29, a sales representative, also from Chelmsford, added: "There will definitely be trouble. That is the way a few people are. They don't need much of an excuse.

"What worries us is that the English people might be singled out.

Media blamed

"Also, we know that 15,000 tickets have been allocated to neutrals so there are bound to be rival fans standing together."

A minority of Arsenal fans at Stansted doubted there would be any trouble and they suggested the potential problems were being blown out of proportion by the media.

Dave Jones, 35, a postman from Wembley, London, said: "As far as we are concerned it's just going to be another game and hopefully we'll have a good night and we'll win.

"I'm not worried about the stabbing. There was probably people stabbed in London last night as well. I don't think there will be any trouble.

"We're certainly not going looking for it."

But Ian Winfield, 35, from Leytonstone, London, said: "I think there will be trouble. Some people will go out there looking for trouble and no doubt they will find it."