Southend High Street sees fans clash ahead of Essex derby

Two groups of supporters of Southend United and Braintree Town were separated by police this afternoon before the crunch fixture.

Police attempted to prevent the sets of fans from reaching one another but a few managed to break the line, footage shows.

The game is set to kick off at 3pm with Southend United fighting for a place in the playoffs and Essex rivals Braintree pushing to avoid relegation.

Ahead of the big derby at Roots Hall today, Essex Police had a message for fans.

Chief Inspector Dave Browning, district commander for Southend, said: “We’ll be there to make sure you can enjoy the game safely.

“You’ll see a visible presence in and around the city, and close to the ground.

“We know that sometimes emotions can run high when rivals meet but officers will deal with anyone involved causing or attempting to cause any disorder.”

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