POLICE believe the true test of a new drive to tackle football hooliganism will come at Swindon Town's next home game.

The scheme, which allows fans to text police if they see any trouble, was introduced before Wednesday's win over Port Vale.

But football liaison officer PC Jim Neighbour, says the game against play-off rivals Bournemouth on Saturday, March 5, will provide a much better indicator of the impact it will have on crowd trouble.

He said: "I think the next game against Bournemouth will be a bigger test because it's an important match and it's a bit of a derby.

"We have had issues in the past when the two teams have met. Fans of both sides don't get on.

"The first night was an anomaly really because it was freezing cold and there was football on television, so it wasn't the ideal time to start it."

But in spite of a slow start on the first night, with only a few light-hearted texts complaining about the bad language from manager Andy King, PC Neighbour is confident the idea will be a winner. He said: "It's caught the imagination of the fans and the next game could see it being used for what it was put in place for."