Tailgating will be a criminal offence in England and Wales as the Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act comes into force at 00: 01 ET on Sunday, 22 March. The Met Police authorised the country’s first charge for tailgating after the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley, with a man arrested at the final and charged at 19: 45 ET on Sunday, 22 March. The change responds to serious disorder at the Euro 2020 final and is intended to stop forced entry, protect fans and enable banning orders and fines.
Tailgating now a criminal offence: penalties and immediate enforcement
The new law makes entering a match without a ticket an offence, with offenders facing a football banning order of up to five years and a fine of up to £1, 000. The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act also criminalises knowingly attempting entry with forged tickets, passes or accreditation, or posing as stadium or playing staff. Police powers to charge for tailgating were exercised at the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley: a man in his 20s was arrested at the final and charged at 19: 45 ET on Sunday, 22 March; two other men were arrested on suspicion of the same offence and remain in custody. One additional arrest on suspicion of tailgating took place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and that person has been bailed pending further investigation.
Immediate reactions
Sarah Jones, policing minister, 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. ” Mark Lynch, Stadium Director at Wembley, said: “Attempts to tailgate or force entry into football stadiums places a huge strain on crowd safety teams and puts legitimate ticket holders at risk of overcrowding or injury. This new legislation will make football safer for fans with genuine tickets, and we are pleased that it will come into effect ahead of a busy period of football matches at Wembley Stadium. ” Chief Inspector Pete Dearden, match commander at Wembley, said: “So much strategic planning goes into these operations. We expect high standards and every officer delivered that today. Huge changes have been implemented since last year, and we will now use the success of the policing operation today as a blueprint throughout the busy summer at Wembley so fans can safely enjoy upcoming fixtures. “
Quick context and what happens next
A Football Association–commissioned report led by Baroness Louise Casey found that the disorder at the Euro 2020 final could have led to deaths, and that about 2, 000 people got into that match illegally with 17 mass breaches of disabled access gates and emergency fire doors. Historically there were no specific legal penalties for entering without a ticket; offenders were typically ejected without prosecution. The new act closes that gap and was brought into effect ahead of a busy fixtures period.
Enforcement will be watched closely: the Met recorded a marked reduction in offences at this year’s final compared with the previous year and will use the operation at Wembley as a template. Courts will now begin to test the new provisions as the first defendants appear; further policing dispatches and court listings will determine how swiftly banning orders and fines are applied. Expect policing strategies, stadium safety plans and legal challenges to evolve as tailgating moves from a breach of entry into a criminal offence.
