FOOTBALL fans were today urged to arrive early for England's crunch European qualifier in Southampton.

A capacity crowd of just over 32,000 will be cheering England on at tonight's clash with Macedonia at St Mary's stadium.

It's the biggest sporting event Southampton has hosted in more than 100 years and it is is expected to bring the city's transport network to a standstill. Police today advised motorists to avoid the Northam area immediately preceding and following the 8pm kick-off.

Anticipated heavy traffic and the closure of Britannia Road are expected to cause major congestion as supporters arrive and depart from the ground. More than 250 police officers will be manning the event both inside and outside the stadium.

Officers from other forces will also be acting as spotters to identify potential troublemakers in the crowd, together with Hampshire's specialist video surveillance units.

City police have been carefully planning the event for many months, liaising closely with Southampton Football Club and the Football Association, which is staging the match and funding the policing operation.

Chief Inspector Andy Golding, deputy match commander, said: "Tickets sales have indicated that 4,500 tickets have gone to people from the Southampton area, which means that at least 20,000 will be travelling into the city.

"We have not policed such a large sporting event in living memory, so it will be an interesting challenge, and it is great for the city to host such a significant event. We urge all supporters to arrive at the ground in plenty of time to take their seats, and to make sure they know where they're going when they head off for home. It will ease things for everyone coming to the game."

Most fans are expected to use the park-and-ride schemes set up for the match - opposite Tesco supermarket at Bursledon and from the Rose Bowl at West End. Britannia Road, the main thoroughfare from Northam Bridge past the ground, will be closed between 6pm and 11pm, and drivers are advised to seek alternative routes.

Police are also anticipating traffic jams in the Marine Parade and Chapel Road area before and after the game.

About 50 coaches are also expected, while extra train services are being laid on to take supporters back towards all corners of the country.