If you tailgate at a football match you'll now be prosecuted under new criminal laws

Martin Macdonald

• 20 Mar 2026 08:30 CDT
• 2 min read

News

Football fans who attempt to tailgate at matches will now face criminal charges.

The new laws will be implemented in England and Wales ahead of this weekend's League Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley.

Should someone attempt to access a game without a ticket, from now on, they face a five-year football banning order as well as a fine of £1,000.

There have been calls for this offence to be treated as a criminal act since the 2020 European Championships final between England and Italy in 2021 which saw thousands of fans force their way into Wembley.

'Tailgating' is performed by standing close behind someone who has a legitimate match ticket and going through the turnstile in one transaction.

Up until now, football fans without a ticket have simply been ejected from the stadium, if caught, but now they will be prosecuted. The authorities believe the threat of criminal charges will act as a deterrent to stop people attempting to illegally access stadiums.

"Football fans should be able to enjoy the game without feeling unsafe or threatened," said policing minister Sarah Jones.

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

"Anyone who endangers others by forcing their way into stadiums faces serious consequences."

Mark Lynch, Stadium Director at Wembley, said: "Attempts to tailgate or force entry into football stadiums places a huge strain on crowd safety teams and puts legitimate ticket holders at risk of overcrowding or injury.

"This new legislation will make football safer for fans with genuine tickets, and we are pleased that it will come into effect ahead of a busy period of football matches at Wembley Stadium."

For the 2025 League Cup final between Newcastle and Liverpool, which the former won 2-1, 69 arrests were made at Wembley and the majority of offences were for people trying to get into the match without a ticket.

A Football Association report commissioned by Baroness Louise Casey confirmed that the disorder at the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy could have led to deaths.

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