Watch: King’s Cross Underground closed after football fans set off flares
King’s Cross London Underground station was forced to close after football fans reportedly set off flares inside, setting off the fire alarm and causing huge disruption.
It comes ahead of the championship final on Sunday afternoon at Wembley Stadium between Southampton and Leeds.
Video footage posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, showed crowds of Leeds United fans on the concourse outside King’s Cross.
Coloured smoke could be seen rising from what appeared to be flares.
The London Underground’s Metropolitan line, which passes through King’s Cross, serves the stadium via Wembley Central station.
“What football fan has set off flares at Kings Cross so the whole place has to be evacuated then?” one social media user posted on X.
Leeds and Southampton are going head-to-head to secure a place in the Premier League, meaning one of them will return to the top flight of English football.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke said ahead of the match: “We know it’s a massive game, a final, there’s always more focus on such a game.”
His Saints counterpart, Russell Martin, added: “There’s a real awareness that the game is different, not pretending it’s normal and to embrace the occasion.”
A Transport for London spokeswoman said: “The station was closed at 12.25pm due to football fans setting off smoke flares within the station.
“There have been three instances of football fans setting off smoke flares today, causing the station fire alarm to be activated.”
TfL added that the station reopened shortly after 1pm and the main National Rail station concourse had remained open throughout.
British Transport Police remain on site, while the fire brigade attended to the earlier fire alarm.
