ALMELO, 05/08/05 - The so-called combi-measure whereby local authorities try to prevent football riots is at risk. A court in Almelo has ruled that the measure in some cases unnecessarily restricts the freedom of supporters.

About 500 fans of Eindhoven's PSV club are allowed to travel without hindrance to the away match against Heracles in Almelo on 13 August. "This is an enormous victory. Not only for the fans of PSV, but for supporters of all other clubs in professional football," according to Ger van Os, chairman of the PSV supporters' association. He had brought the case with the Partner Organisations of Football Supporters (SOVS) umbrella organisation.

The SOVS has for years been fighting the combi-measure. Under this measure, the stadium tickets for supporters of the visiting club are linked to travel requirements. Sometimes, the supporters have to follow a specified route with their cars; sometimes the measures are more far-reaching and require the fans to travel with buses or trains reserved for them. By these means, the local authorities wish to keep the flows of supporters on public roads and around the stadium under control as much as possible.

According to the judge, the fear of disturbances of public order in case of unrestricted travel for the PSV fans is unfounded. The possible nuisance caused by a small core of fanatic PSV supporters cannot be eliminated by the combi-measure, in the view of the judge, who called the municipal decision "incorrect, incomplete and in conflict with legal security".?