\n<\/p>\n
Entering a football match in England and Wales without a ticket will become a criminal offence under new laws that come into force before Sunday’s Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley.<\/b><\/p>\n
Offenders will face a football banning order of up to five years, as well as a fine of up to \u00a31,000.<\/p>\n
The legislation has been introduced as a result of the serious disorder that marred the European Championship final between England and Italy at Wembley in July 2021, when thousands of fans forced their way into the stadium<\/a>.<\/p>\n The new act is designed to clamp down on ‘tailgating’ – where supporters without tickets make their way through turnstiles by staying close behind legitimate ticket-holders.<\/p>\n It will also be illegal to knowingly attempt to gain entry using forged tickets, passes and accreditation documents, or by posing as a member of staff.<\/p>\n Until now, there have been no specific legal penalties for entering a football match without a ticket, with supporters that are caught doing so tending to be ejected without any further punishment.<\/p>\n “Football fans should be able to enjoy the game without feeling unsafe or threatened,” said policing minister Sarah Jones.<\/p>\n “We’re giving the police the tools they need to ensure the chaos we saw at Wembley five years ago never happens again.<\/p>\n “Anyone who endangers others by forcing their way into stadiums faces serious consequences.”<\/p>\n A Football Association (FA) commissioned report led by Baroness Louise Casey said the disorder at the Euro 2020 final could have led to deaths.<\/p>\n It found that about 2,000 people got into the match illegally, with 17 mass breaches of disabled access gates and emergency fire doors.<\/p>\n The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act follows Baroness Casey’s findings that sanctions on breaking into stadiums were weak, and that tailgating should become a criminal offence.<\/p>\n