Anti-hooligan plan on track
It was confirmed yesterday that CCTV cameras are to be installed at all Greek first-division soccer grounds and an electronic ticketing system will be set up over the next few months in a drive to stop fan violence. Sports Minister Giorgos Orfanos and Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras said that the ticketing system, which will require supporters’ names to be printed on the tickets, will be running by next February. The installation of the CCTV cameras will be complete by the end of this year, the ministers said. «We will be able to name all those who, until now, could hide in the shadows,» said Orfanos. The cost of installing the cameras at 22 stadiums is estimated at 14 millions euros and will be covered by the owners of the grounds. The measures are designed to allow police to scale down their presence inside stadiums, where they will be replaced by private stewards. Last season, more than 217,000 policemen were deployed within and outside soccer grounds in Greece.
