Cardiff police have been accused of heavy-handedness by a fan who was dragged from a crowd of Welsh Independence demonstrators after ripping a smoke flare.
Ieuan Ellis, 26, claimed that police at the scene told him he was still able to attend Wales’ qualifying victory over Ukraine on 5 June but was later barred from the stadium.
Welsh Football Fans for Independence called the behaviour of police “completely unjustified”.
By Mark S Redfern. Cover Image Ben Jones.
A Welsh football supporter was banned from one of the greatest international sporting victories the country has seen after letting off a smoke flare a mile-and-a-half from the grounds, he told voice.wales.
Ieuan Ellis, a 26-year-old insurance clerk, had a red smoke flare in his hands for just a couple of seconds in Womanby Street before being dragged out of the crowd by cops from South Wales Police.
“They grabbed me and said come with us,” Ieuan, pictured above, explains. He says he asked the police for a reason but the officer refused and dragged him by the arm out of the crowd. “I just walked in the direction that they were pulling me and then they started pulling me more aggressively and dragging me that way. I was very compliant with them. Yes sir, no sir, at all times, trying to avoid any trouble.”
The match took place in Cardiff City Stadium but the police heavy-handedness was focussed on Womanby Street, a central location and one of the cultural heartlands of the city.
“They were swerving in and out of the crowds,” said Ieuan. “Barging into people quite a lot, making their presence known.”
“I saw police walking over and thought that’s odd,” Ieuan told voice.wales. “They’re walking right towards me. I kept it in my hand until I saw them getting closer and closer. I was by the gates to Clwb Ifor Bach so I put the flare down where there was no-one else around just so smoke didn’t go in anyone’s faces.”
Ieuan made it clear that he was aware of the restrictions. “They’re not illegal but they’re illegal to bring into a football stadium, which I was aware of before [the Wales v Ukraine match].
“I had no plans to bring it into the stadium, it was just for Womanby Street because everyone meets there for the March for Independence before the match. I wanted to liven it up a bit, build a bit of atmosphere and have done for loads of other games in the past.”
The fan said he had been to the vast majority of Wales’ home games in the last couple of years, and never had any trouble.
“There’s been police officers stood next to me when I’ve let them off in Womanby Street before.”
Ieuan also points out that he was letting off smoke flares in the same area before the Wales v Austria match in March 2022. This changed ahead of the Ukraine match, however.
In between games, the Football Association Wales (FAW) was slapped with a fine for supporters using flares in the stands.
The cops told Iuean that pyrotechnics of all kinds were banned from the stadium, something that Ieuan made clear wasn’t his intention. Officers refused to take the leftover flares from Ieuan, which he said he later handed off to a friend not attending the game that day, but the cops dealing with Ieuan did take his details after threatening him with a Section 35 dispersal order.
The officers gathered away from Ieuan and discussed amongst themselves and on their radios.
“I didn’t really know what was going on and I was a bit nervous. I was more nervous initially. Once they said I could go to the game I thought, well I’m bound to be free in a minute.”
After ten to fifteen minutes, cops let him go with a verbal warning.
“I remember the one police officer said that it’s dangerous having these flares you know, there was a Rangers fan who had their hand blown off. I said, I’m a Celtic fan so it’s no good telling me that. She said, I’m a Rangers fan. I said that explains a lot.”
“It was intimidating having such a heavy police presence there. Especially when I wasn’t expecting it, and the way they were barging through the crowd wasn’t great.”
Boos started to be heard from the crowd as the afternoon progressed and more fans were dragged to the sides for talking-tos from the cops.
“It became quite tense and it was clear it was one side against another. In my opinion it was the police that instigated that feeling, people had a right to think that that was odd and to think that it was wrong.”
“I could hear the band that was playing whilst I was waiting in the queue,” recalled Ieuan. “I was getting really pumped for it.” Ieuan and his friend scanned their tickets, both in Ieuan’s name, and the barcode scanned as invalid. “In the back of my mind I had a bad feeling then.”
After a short back-and-forth between stadium security and the ticket office Ieuan was told his tickets were flagged by police and they were to be barred from the stadium for carrying pyrotechnics en route to the grounds.
It turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime game, missed for lighting a flare far away from the grounds even after verbal assurances by officers in Womanby Street. “I don’t think I’d be as angry if we lost either. I was looking forward to it for months.”
Ieuan was later banned from the following Wales v Netherlands match on 8 June as well.
Welsh Football Fans for Independence (WFFFI) said: “For the past five years as a group, [WFFFI] has organised marches starting at Womanby Street before Wales home matches. This was started to increase and normalise the dialogue around independence for fans of our national team.”
“For five years we’ve had no major incidents of any kind, no police issues, no injuries with pyrotechnics being present at almost all of these events. With pyrotechnics only being illegal inside a football ground fans choose to do this on our marches and therefore won’t breach this law as it’s already been done.”
“On Sunday with no prior statement or dialogue the SW Police changed their attitude towards this and behaved very aggressively towards fans who were enjoying themselves in a fantastic atmosphere on Womanby Street.”
“The police then have passed on the details of these fans under the guise of them being a threat to bringing pyrotechnics into the stadium and the fans have had their tickets cancelled not just for [Wales v Ukraine], but also [Wales v Netherlands on 8 June]. This is completely unjustified as over a 5 year period there has been nothing to show this is going to be the case.”
The FAW told voice.wales: “Cardiff City Stadium were disappointed to be made aware by South Wales Police of persons using and carrying flares in and around Womanby street.”
“All devices have recommendations relating to safe working distances, which are not achievable in crowded places inside or outside stadia & therefore pyrotechnics use in such a manner is irresponsible.”
“Head of Operations and premises supervisor Wayne Nash decided to prevent access to the persons identified by South Wales Police for such behaviour and the persons who behave in such a manner are not welcome at Cardiff City Stadium.”
“During and following the match 11 devices were discharged at the stadium, 3 in the concourse that lead to major issues with the fire alarm system, while 5 of these were thrown onto the pitch.”
“The Cardiff City Stadium will continue the Policy of preventing entry to those discharging pyro and will work with South Wales Police to hold persons accountable for their actions not only pre and during the game but also retrospectively for actions that cause such charges and alarm and distress to supporters affected by the use of such devices.”
South Wales Police Chief Superintendent Chris Truscott said: “On occasions it is necessary to take action against supporters whose behaviour threatens the safety of others, which includes the use of flares and fireworks in or outside the stadium.”
“Anyone who chooses to break the law will be dealt with robustly and run the risk of being arrested and made the subject of a Football Banning Order which will prevent them from attending future matches.”
WFFFI added that “as a result of this unfairness” they were cancelling foreseeable marches on match days “because we don’t know what the policing situation will be like and whether fans will be left in peace or met with threatening behaviour.”
