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

The British 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 £1000. 

The new law will come into force before Sunday’s Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City. 

The Football Association (FA) has been urging the government to make tailgating a criminal offence after the serious disorder that marred the 2021 European Championship final between England and Italy at Wembley.

About 2000 fans attempted to gain entry to the stadium without tickets, and later an independent review found a ticketless group of 6000 were preparing to storm the stadium had England won. 

The 2025 Carabao Cup final between Newcastle United and Liverpool also witnessed chaotic scenes, as fans tried to enter Wembley without tickets. 

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

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

This was an issue for the FA who kept urging the government to make it a criminal offence, and their lobbying campaign has finally succeeded.