No Ticket? Entering a Soccer Stadium in Britain Is Now a Crime

Entering a soccer match without a ticket has become a criminal offense in England and Wales under new legislation that takes effect ahead of Sunday's League Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.

The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act, announced Friday by the government, was prompted by a government review of the violent scenes at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley in July 2021, when thousands of ticketless individuals forced their way into the stadium. The review found that lives were endangered and that existing sanctions were insufficient.

Offenders will face a five-year soccer banning order and a fine of up to £1,000 ($1,340), effective this weekend.

The law specifically criminalizes "tailgating", the practice of walking closely behind a ticket holder to gain entry through stadium gates, which previously carried no specific legal penalty.

"It cannot be right that some people pay and some people don't and that people are put at risk, in danger, when people are tailgating," said Sarah Jones, the government's policing minister, who described the law as a "great deterrent."

The act also makes it illegal to knowingly attempt to enter a match using forged tickets, passes, accreditation documents, or by impersonating stadium or playing staff.