It would seem that a number of Norwich City supporters have written either to the police or the local press about a heavy-handed presence following the Leeds game.

After the final whistle home and away supporters were allowen to leave the stadium together.

Once outside the stadium there was a cordon of police vehicles and a mix of plain clothed and uniformed police manning the barrier.

The idea was to prevent a mass exodus from the away supporters exits towards the back of the Jarrold Stand, the Avivia Community Stand and the Norwich and Peterborough stand. The areas where children and elderly and disabled supporters are likely to emerge in numbers.

It seems that some people complained because they could not leave without having to squeeze through the narrow space that police left for this purpose.

Nobody will know just what intelligence the police had received when they made the decision to go with a show of strength in numbers, but the police still answered criticisms levelled at them.

There will be similar strength in numbers for the Ipswich game, following procedures that have been rehearsed for months in advance.

Chief Supt Sarah Hamlin will be in charge of policing the Norwich vs Ipswich game.Although not present for the Leeds encounter she did state that certain measures had to be taken at the last minute becauseof a change of intelligence just before the game indicated that there might be trouble.

Speaking of Sunday's encounter Hamlin said: "We will have a similar presence at the derby game as we did at the Leeds match. Generally speaking the derbies are good natured and both Norwich and Ipswich are friendly, family clubs. But obviously passions can run high."

“We have been preparing for more than two months. Policing football matches is about more than simply preventing fights. It is also about managing crowds to prevent surges and to avoid people getting injured accidentally."

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