New Law Criminalises Ticketless Entry Ahead of Carabao Cup Final

• New legislation makes entering matches without a ticket a criminal offence in England and Wales.
• Offenders face bans of up to five years and fines up to £1,000.
• The law comes into force before the Carabao Cup final between Arsenal F.C. and Manchester City F.C. at Wembley Stadium.

Entering a football match without a valid ticket will now be a criminal offence in England and Wales under new legislation introduced ahead of this weekend’s Carabao Cup final.

The law means individuals caught attempting to gain entry without a ticket could face a football banning order of up to five years, as well as fines of up to £1,000.

The move follows the disorder seen during the UEFA Euro 2020 Final, when England national football team faced Italy national football team at Wembley and thousands of fans forced their way into the stadium.

The legislation specifically targets “tailgating,” where individuals without tickets attempt to enter by closely following legitimate supporters through turnstiles.

It will also be an offence to use forged tickets or accreditation, or to pose as stadium staff in order to gain access.

Previously, there were no specific legal penalties for entering a stadium without a ticket, with most offenders simply being ejected.

At last year’s Carabao Cup final, 69 arrests were made, the majority related to attempted unauthorised entry, though prosecutions were limited due to a lack of specific legal provisions.

Policing minister Sarah Jones said the changes are designed to improve safety for supporters.

“Football fans should be able to enjoy the game without feeling unsafe or threatened,” she said.

“We’re giving the police the tools they need to ensure the chaos we saw at Wembley five years ago never happens again.”

A report led by Louise Casey found that around 2,000 people entered the Euro 2020 final illegally, with multiple breaches of security gates, and warned the situation could have led to fatalities.

The new Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act aims to address those concerns and strengthen enforcement measures at major events.

The legislation comes into effect immediately, with authorities set to implement the rules at Sunday’s final at Wembley.