Ambulance warning ahead of England v Netherlands game after 999 calls shoot up

West Midlands Ambulance have called for cool heads ahead of tonight's England v Netherlands match after seeing a significant jump in 999 calls after the last England game. The ambulance service saw a near 15 percent increase in calls on Saturday night after the quarter-final match against Switzerland, which included domestic abuse related calls.

WMAS will be putting on extra staff for tonight's match, but issued a stark warning to football fans in the region to stay calm and within control of their emotions, whatever the result of tonight's Euro 2024 semi-final between England and the Netherlnds.

Ambulance chief James Williams reported that after Saturday's England match against Switzerland, they saw a sharp increase to call handlers. In the three hours following the final whistle, 999 call handlers took over 700 emergency calls, compared to the 615 that the Trust would normally expect to see on an average Saturday night.

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Assistant chief ambulance officer, James Williams will be co-ordinating the service this evening as the match takes place. He said: “During other tournaments, particularly at this point, we see a fall in call numbers during the couple of hours before and during the match and then a sharp rise immediately after the end of the game with fans either ecstatic or upset at the result.

“As with previous games during the tournament, we have increased the number of call handlers we have on duty in our control rooms and will have more ambulances on the streets than we would normally see on a Wednesday night in case we see a similar situation unfold.

“Clearly, we want to see England reach the final on Sunday, but we hope that those watching will be mindful of their own safety so that they don’t get into a position where they need an ambulance.

“Unfortunately, we do see a rise in cases of domestic abuse during big championships such as this. There is increasing evidence pointing to a link between high-profile football matches and cases of domestic violence and abuse, so I would like to remind people that there is help available to anyone who feels they are at risk. You can find out more from: www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help

“We know emotions can run high at times when the result might not go the way you hope, but it is important people remember that it isn’t acceptable to take your anger out on our staff. We will always take a zero-tolerance approach to abuse of our staff and will work together with the police to secure prosecutions wherever possible.”