Steve Dand, co-founder of Unite the Right UK, has appointed six to eight stewards for his right-wing protest, which he expects will attract 200 people on April 11.

The anti-immigration group is meeting at midday outside the Eagle pub in Newmarket Road, less than an hour before the Norwich City vs Ipswich Town clash kicks off.

The pub in Newmarket Road (Image: Denise Bradley)

James Linder and Jill Linder, managers of the pub, are being forced to close the site to protect the safety of their staff.

But Mr Dand has confirmed the protest will still go ahead.

He said: "I don't even know why the pub has a problem.

Unite The Right UK's poster advertising the protest on Facebook (Image: Submitted)

"There's probably more to worry about regarding the football fans.

"I tried to reassure the owners that I would have stewards there on the day.

"This is for crowd control and to ensure people do not go inside the pub.

"They will also be there for health and safety reasons, ensuring none of the protestors wanders into the road."

Police created a barrier between fans as missiles were thrown at the previous derby (Image: Focus Images)

Around 27,000 football fans are expected at the game, with the majority driving in using routes such as Newmarket Road, as trains are cancelled between Ipswich and Norwich, due to a series of works on the rail network.

Although officers have not mentioned policing the protest, or how it will affect their resources, a large number of police will be deployed at Carrow Road, the surrounding area and the city centre.

Ipswich fans arriving at Carrow Road in 2024 (Image: Paul Chesterton)

Mr Dand added: "The owners say they will be opening later on the day.

"A liaison officer from Norfolk Police contacted me on Tuesday to ask for an update on how many people would be attending the protest.

"I haven't got a clue but because of the interest it has had on Facebook, there could be around 200.

"It's difficult to tell, and there are a lot of factors that play into it such as the weather."

© Norwich Evening News