Football Tailgating Now a Criminal Offence in England
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- Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act takes effect before Sunday's Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley, making it a criminal offence to enter a football match in England and Wales without a ticket
- Offenders face a football banning order of up to five years and a fine of up to £1,000; the law also criminalises using forged tickets, passes, or accreditation documents, or posing as a member of staff
- Policing minister Sarah Jones said football fans "should be able to enjoy the game without feeling unsafe or threatened," and that the law gives police "the tools" to prevent a repeat of the 2021 Wembley disorder
- Baroness Louise Casey's FA-commissioned report found about 2,000 people entered the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy illegally, with 17 mass breaches of disabled access gates and emergency fire doors, and concluded the disorder could have led to deaths
- Metropolitan Police made 69 arrests at last year's Carabao Cup final at Wembley, with the majority for ticketless entry attempts; until now, police could only charge suspected fraud, making prosecution unlikely
- Wembley Stadium Director Mark Lynch said tailgating "places a huge strain on crowd safety teams and puts legitimate ticket holders at risk of overcrowding or injury"
Why it matters: Until now, ticketless fans caught at English and Welsh football matches were typically ejected without further penalty. The new law closes that gap with up to five-year banning orders and £1,000 fines — backed by the Casey review's finding that the Euro 2020 final disorder could have been fatal and that 2,000 people breached the stadium illegally.
