Police chiefs will meet safety experts and representatives from Bradford City within the next fortnight to discuss plans for dealing with Premier League crowds.

High-profile fixtures against teams like Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool should lead to a succession of capacity attendances at Valley Parade.

And a derby against local rivals Leeds United will be just one of a number of home games testing the policing and security inside and outside the ground.

The officer responsible for policing matches at Valley Parade, Chief Inspector Ray Shepherd said: "The major difference will be bigger crowds and, because of television, it's unlikely all the matches will be on a Saturday afternoon.

"Although we've had no real football-related disturbances in the city centre this year, and very few outside the stadium, we may have to look at increasing the number of officers in the city centre.

"We want to make sure that the thousands of other people who are not involved in football can go about their business on match days without any fear."

Mr Shepherd said the club will, and always had, acted "extremely responsibly in terms of the way matches are policed".

Bradford City safety officer, Roger Holmes said that security at Valley Parade was already at Premiership standard.

"There'll be some minor tinkering - perhaps in the way stewards look after the players and referee at half time and the end of the game, but there's no need for wholesale change."

The are 28 CCTV cameras operating inside and outside Valley Parade, and well over 200 stewards monitoring the ground and car parks.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.