“BEHAVE yourselves.” That’s the warning from police chiefs to football fans intent on causing trouble ahead of Southampton’s clash with Bournemouth tomorrow.

The plea comes after officers received intelligence suggesting a minority of fans are planning pre-arranged “guerrilla tactics” to goad or attack their rivals.

Some of the threats are even being clearly publicised over the Internet and on social networking sites online.

The match at St Mary’s will be the first time the two clubs have met in a league tie for more than 50 years, with the Cherries having sold out their 3,200 seating allocation.

Around 90 police officers will be on duty to ensure people get to and from the game safely, and that the event passes off peacefully.

They include a team of specialist officers capable of reacting to any public order problems and a support unit from Dorset.

Officers say that central to tomorrow’s operation will be how rival fans arrive in the city, including by car, coach and rail.

A “yellow corridor” system, where officers wearing high visibility jackets escort fans to the stadium, will also be in operation in a bid to ward off any potential incidents.

Superintendent Rick Burrows, head of public order and who is in charge of football policing across Hampshire, said: “We have to rationalise it – there is still the 99.9 per cent majority who want to come along, have a good time and watch a good match.

“The ‘youth risk’ that we were dealing with have faded away, we have not seen the frequency that we were, but there are still a few people determined to create disorder.

“What we have found is that there are a number trying to pre-arrange it, or if they can’t they will look to use guerrilla tactics like attacks at key points. That is across both sides, but certainly in Southampton it’s no secret we have seen a rise in hooliganism.

“It is constantly changing – for us it’s like playing a chess game to try and outwit them.”