That’s the view of Alun Williams, of Wrexham-based Abrahams Solicitors, who represented one of three men sentenced last week for football-related offending.
Wrexham Magistrates Court heard how the three men (37-year-old Arun Thomas from Pandy, 31-year-old Jakee Jones from Weston Rhyn and 38-year-old James Jones from Wrexham) engaged in threatening or abusive behaviour, with Thomas having also committed an assault.
All of the offending took place on February 7 in Wrexham city centre – the day when Wrexham AFC played Millwall FC at home and saw Thomas kicking a Millwall fan in Priory Street, as well as groups of Wrexham fans (including the other two defendants) shouting abuse at opposition supporters as they drank in High Street.
Mr Williams shared his concerns when mitigating for his client, telling the court the decision to kick the match off at 3pm had not been a good one.
Speaking to the Leader outside the hearing, Mr Williams said: “Everyone knows Millwall will be the highest category game Wrexham has.
“For some reason, someone has taken the decision that should be kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday.
“I accept there’s transport difficulties for the Millwall fans coming from London, but that game should not have kicked off after 12.
“If they get to Wrexham for, say, 11am, then you have four hours of drinking time before the game.
“When we play Millwall again next year, I’d be surprised if that game’s on a Saturday at 3pm.”
The Leader reported after the match took place how many Millwall fans had refused to go in the designated opposition pub – the Ironworks – apparently over similarities in its name to the nickname of their rivals, West Ham (The Irons).
That resulted in the majority of Millwall fans making their way to the Midland pub in High Street, which Ironworks tenant Mike Roberts said led to “shambles” in the area.
Alun Williams said: “The situation was aggravated by Millwall refusing, unreasonably, to go into the designated pub.
“Then you see the situation with them wandering around town.
“If Millwall had gone to the Ironworks and were cordoned off, they wouldn’t have been in the High Street – and it might be the case that the ones who ended up fighting in Priory Street would have been safely in the Ironworks too rather than wandering around.”
Mr Williams said the atmosphere created in the city centre on the day was terrifying – a fact the court heard from Prosecutor Huw Williams, who said people were seen hiding in shop doorways as the groups of fans moved around.
At the sentencing, Mr Evans told the court that, prior to the 3pm kick-off, a large group of males from the Wrexham area made their way through the city centre – twice being turned around by police who were maintaining a cordon, as Millwall fans were drinking on High Street.
If the two groups had been allowed to come together, the court heard, there was potential for “mass disorder.”
A short while later, some of the Wrexham fans (including Jakee and James Jones) managed to then get onto High Street where Millwall supporters were still drinking and shouted: “Wrexham, Wrexham – f*** off Millwall. Millwall, where are you,” but were stopped from actually reaching the recipients of their abuse.
In Priory Street, Thomas assaulted a Millwall fan who had already been knocked to the ground by other Wrexham supporters – kicking him to the stomach as he lay defenceless on the ground.
A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: “We welcome the sentences issued to these individuals, who made a deliberate decision to seek and engage in disorder on 7th February 2026.
“The issuing of football banning orders will now prevent them from attending football matches for a number of years.
“A large policing operation was in place for the match and the overwhelming majority of the 10,500 people in attendance were there to enjoy the game and did so without incident.
“It is frustrating that a small minority of individuals were intent on behaving in an anti-social and disorderly manner, resulting in a number of arrests on the day.
“Consideration will be given to this year’s fixture when planning for the 2026/7 season.”
