Under new legislation set to take effect before the Carabao Cup final on Sunday between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley, it will be illegal to enter a football match in England and Wales without a ticket.
Individuals caught committing this offence could face a football banning order of up to five years, along with a fine that could reach £1,000.
This law has been enacted following the serious disturbances that occurred during the European Championship final between England and Italy at Wembley in July 2021, where thousands of fans forced their way into the stadium.
The new legislation aims to combat ‘tailgating’—a practice where individuals without tickets try to gain entry by closely following legitimate ticket-holders through the turnstiles.
Additionally, it will be unlawful to intentionally attempt entry via forged tickets, passes, accreditation documents, or by impersonating a staff member.
Previously, there were no specific legal repercussions for entering a football match without a ticket; fans caught doing so were generally removed without further consequences.
At last year’s Carabao Cup final, 69 arrests were made, primarily for attempting to enter Wembley without a valid ticket. Until now, police could only charge offenders with suspected fraud, making prosecution difficult.
“Football fans must be able to enjoy the game without fears for their safety,” stated policing minister Sarah Jones.
“We are providing law enforcement with the necessary tools to ensure that incidents like those witnessed at Wembley five years ago do not happen again.
“Anyone who jeopardizes others by forcing their way into stadiums will face serious penalties.”
According to a report commissioned by the Football Association (FA) and led by Baroness Louise Casey, the disorder at the Euro 2020 final had the potential to result in fatalities.
The report indicated that around 2,000 individuals illegitimately gained entry to the match, resulting in 17 significant breaches of disabled access gates and emergency fire doors.
The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act is based on Baroness Casey’s findings, which highlighted that penalties for illegally entering stadiums were inadequate and advocated for tailgating to be classified as a criminal offence.
Italy beat England on penalties to become the European champions.
England, Wales, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland are set to jointly host Euro 2028.