Albion fan's safety concerns over Marseille match

Marseille have been forced to play behind closed doors on multiple occasions due to crowd trouble

A Brighton and Hove Albion supporter has issued a safety warning to fellow fans ahead of the club's Europa League match against Marseille.

The club said fans could “expect a hostile atmosphere" at the match on 5 October.

Guidance has been issued advising fans not to wear Albion shirts and to avoid visiting certain areas in the city, or risk being fined.

Albion fan David Thompson, who recently visited the French city to watch the Rugby World Cup, said it would be an “intense process”.

In a statement the club said supporters “should exercise caution at all times in Marseille” and risk being fined by French police if they visit the Old Port.

“We’ve explained that we’ve got good fans and they’re not trouble makers,” Brighton and Hove Albion’s head of safety and security, Adrian Morris, told BBC Radio Sussex.

“But in Marseille, the police have had so many problems over the years with teams that visit, that they use these measures to try and keep the fans safe and away from Marseille ultras.”

Marseille have been forced to play behind closed doors on multiple occasions in recent years due to crowd trouble.

Stewards broke up scuffles among Marseille fans during a Champions League match in August

Mr Thompson said he experienced an “unbelievably friendly” atmosphere at the rugby, but was warned by a waiter that local football fans were different.

“He told me that if we were to get the metro: 'Don’t speak - don’t show any indication that you’re English',” he said.

“I think they’ve got five sets of ultras from different areas of Marseille that take interest in only away fans. So all of us have to be wary of safety.

“It will be a fairly intense process to get to the ground and back in a safe manner. It wouldn’t surprise me if French army were around as well.”

But the concerns were not enough to make him cancel his trip.

“It made me think about it, but it’s something that is so iconic in Brighton’s history. We will go and enjoy it and be proud of our club,” he said.