Oxford United and Thames Valley Police will have a series of new safety measures in place for Sunday's FA Cup second-round tie with Swindon.

The police have asked the club to ensure that no alcohol will be on sale in the North Stand, to either Oxford or Swindon fans, though it will still be available to United supporters in both the South Stand and the Oxford Mail Stand.

Fifty extra stewards are being drafted in for the televised local derby - the first time the clubs have met in the FA Cup.

And netting is being erected above the dividing doors in the North Stand to prevent a repetition of the incident at the recent Worthington Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa when a bottle was thrown from one group of fans at another, sparking trouble.

Officials and police have reviewed security following a pitch invasion by around 25 Lincoln City fans at the Division 3 match at the Kassam Stadium last Saturday.

A more worrying incident was that eight Lincoln fans were allowed to walk along the side of the pitch at half-time, from the North Stand's away section to the home section without being appre- hended.

Supporter Chris Timms, from Banbury, said: "They walked all along the side of the pitch without being stopped, I couldn't believe it. I alerted a steward to them and he questioned them. They apparently said they were going to get something to eat."

Timms added: "The stewards just stood there and virtually stepped aside. One of them was only a young lad, but if something like this happened in the Swindon game it could be disastrous."

But United safety officer Tony Ashley said it wouldn't.

"The incident at half-time caught us cold, bearing in mind that it has never happened before, and we are taking steps to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"There are lessons to be learned from some of the things that happened and certain areas will be strengthened.

"We will have 50 extra stewards. There will be sufficient stewards and sufficient police."

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