Entering football stadium without ticket becomes criminal offence in Britain | OneFootball

The United Kingdom government has made entering a football stadium without a ticket a criminal offence for the first time this weekend, according to the Guardian. 

The offenders could be given a football ban for up to five years and a maximum fine of £1,000. 

The new law will come into force for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.

The Football Association (FA) urged the government to make ‘tailgating’ a criminal offence after the serious disorder that marred the 2021 European Championship final between England and Italy.

About 2,000 fans attempted to gain entry to the stadium without tickets, and an independent review found that a ticketless group of 6,000 people were preparing to storm the stadium had England won. 

Chaotic scenes also marred the 2025 Carabao Cup final between Newcastle United and Liverpool, as fans tried to enter Wembley without tickets. 

The Metropolitan police arrested 68 offending supporters, but the arrests were made on suspicion of fraud. No charges were issued due to low conviction rates for tailgating. 

Fans caught entering a stadium without a ticket were typically ejected without further punishment, as there were no specific legal penalties for tailgating. 

This was an issue for the FA, and their lobbying campaign has finally succeeded.