Entering a football ground without a ticket becomes a criminal offence in England and Wales from this weekend, with offenders facing banning orders of up to five years and fines of £1,000. The new law is timed to coincide with Sunday's Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley.
The change follows growing concern over ticketless fans forcing their way into matches. Last year's final saw 68 arrests by the Metropolitan Police, all on suspicion of fraud, but no charges were brought because of very low conviction rates for tailgating. The issue has become an increasing problem for the Football Association and several Premier League clubs.
The legislation was introduced after lobbying by the FA, which had urged the government to act. The move also comes five years after England's penalty shootout defeat in the final of the 2021 European Championship, when about 2,000 fans gained entry without tickets and 400 were ejected. An independent review by Louise Casey found that a ticketless group of around 6,000 were preparing to storm the stadium had England won, and she referred to collective security failures that “jeopardised the lives of legitimate supporters and staff”.
The crime and policing minister, Sarah Jones, said: “Football fans should be able to enjoy the game without feeling unsafe or threatened. We’re giving the police the tools they need to ensure the chaos we saw at Wembley five years ago never happens again. Anyone who endangers others by forcing their way into stadiums faces serious consequences.”
Lady Casey welcomed the new law, which was introduced via a private member's bill by Linsey Farnsworth, the Labour MP for Amber Valley. “Forcing your way into a football match without a ticket isn’t harmless,” she said. “It jeopardises the safety of legitimate fans and staff. Making tailgating a criminal offence makes it clear that this behaviour is dangerous, won’t be tolerated and those who do it will face consequences.”
