There has been parliamentary support in the United Kingdom for the creation of a novel criminal offence associated with the unauthorised entry into a football event. In addition, they promote enhanced collaboration among law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom and other nations, with the shared aim of bolstering safety protocols at both domestic and international sporting events. This is carried out in pursuit of the shared objective of ensuring secure sporting events.
Before the release of the report entitled “Safety at significant sporting events” on Friday, an inquiry was undertaken by the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee concerning the well-being of spectators throughout the Euro 2020 final at Wembley and the tumultuous incidents that transpired with Liverpool supporters present at the 2022 Champions League final. Twenty22 was the year in which both of these events transpired.
The head of the committee, Caroline Dinenage, stated, “Fans who attend holiday matches during this time of year should be able to spend time with their family and friends in safe, welcoming, and inclusive sporting stadiums.” “In the course of this season, holiday matches are played.”
It is unfortunate that the increase in disturbance that has occurred at football events in the aftermath of the epidemic, as well as the near-catastrophes that have taken place at Wembley and in Paris, have led to the conclusion that a significant amount of work still needs to be done in order to guarantee the safety of everyone.
Ascertained from the investigation’s conclusions, the treatment of Liverpool supporters by the French authorities throughout the Champions League final was deemed “horrendous.” Moreover, the report revealed that the manner in which foreign police forces dealt with football supporters in the United Kingdom was a substantial contributor to the ensuing disorder. Among the components that contributed to the upheaval was this specific element.
As an increasing number of spectators congregate at high-profile matches, tailgating and other forms of unauthorised entrance onto stadiums are becoming more prevalent, according to Dinenage. This is due to the fact that an increasing number of spectators are present. As a consequence of this, the safety of the spectators is imperilled.
The implicated parties ought to be cognizant of the fact that they will be held liable for their conduct, and the government ought to endorse legislation that guarantees their prohibition. She emphasised the importance of conveying this information to them. She further stated that the involvement of those who were implicated should be strictly prohibited.
The committee asserts that the lack of a clearly defined criminal consequence pertaining to the utilisation of football banning orders facilitates the continuation of unauthorised access, notwithstanding the lack of litigation surrounding it.
This is due to the committee’s conviction that the lack of such a consequence is unacceptable. Moreover, in light of this, the committee advises the government to implement legislation that prohibits unauthorised entry to football matches. This is being proposed as an outcome resulting from the occurrence of this.
A augmentation in the financial allocation made by sports organisations towards safeguarding spectators outside of stadiums was among the numerous suggestions put forth. Another proposal put forth was for the government to implement a centralised system for reporting instances of discrimination and antisocial behaviour that occur during events.