Ban on ticketless football fans set to become law

Ban on ticketless football fans set to become law

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Action Images/Reuters Thousands of fans forced entry to Wembley stadium for the Euro 2020 final in 2021

Football fans who enter or attempt to enter matches in England and Wales without a ticket face a ban after legislation cleared the House of Commons. The bill makes unauthorised entry to a football match a criminal offence. Following a conviction for that offence, a court would ban someone from attending any professional football matches. Convicted fans would also face a fine of up to £1,000. The draft legislation still needs to be passed by the House of Lords, but is likely to become law as it is supported by both the government and the Conservatives.

Unathorised entry into a match can include tailgating a fan with a ticket through barriers, but it can also include forced entry, bribing stadium staff, or using deception to enter - such as impersonating a member of staff. The draft law comes following disorder at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley in 2021, when thousands of fans force entry into the stadium. An FA-commissioned report led by Baroness Louise Casey said the disorder could have led to deaths and recommended making tailgating into a match a criminal offence. The measures would cover fans who attempt to enter the premises - such as the first ticket check on the run up to a stadium - but who fail to make it into a match itself. But it would not apply to fans who enter a match with a fake ticket they believe to be genuine, or entering a match with a valid ticket which they were not eligible to use. It would also not stop those without tickets but with legitimate reasons to enter matches, such as stadium employees, journalists and emergency workers.

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