A man has become the first person in England and Wales to be charged with tailgating at a football match, receiving a three-year banning order and a £230 fine. Benjamin Bailey, 27, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, admitted entering the Carabao Cup final at Wembley without a ticket on March 22.
The offence of tailgating, which involves following closely behind a ticket holder to gain entry through stadium turnstiles, was introduced as a criminal offence ahead of the final. The legislation, known as the Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act, also makes it illegal to use forged tickets, passes, or accreditation documents, or to impersonate stadium or playing staff.
Bailey pleaded guilty at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Friday. The court imposed a three-year football banning order and a fine of £230, as confirmed by HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Offenders convicted of tailgating face potential banning orders of up to five years and fines of up to £1,000.
The law was introduced following serious disorder at the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy on July 11, 2021, when thousands of ticketless fans stormed Wembley Stadium. An independent review by Baroness Louise Casey found that lives were put at risk, with more than 20 “near misses” that could have resulted in serious injury or death.
Approximately 2,000 people gained entry without tickets during that final, with 17 mass breaches of gates in the 90 minutes before kick-off and during the penalty shootout. Previously, there were no specific legal penalties for attending a football match without a ticket.
