Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill

Third Reading

Motion

Moved by

That the Bill do now pass.

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, for successfully steering this Private Member’s Bill through the House. As we have discussed, following Second Reading I did not table amendments in Committee since the Bill had the support of the Commons, is an important step in its own right in addressing the issue of fans entering football grounds without permission, and needed to make progress to finalise its passage through another place in this Session.

However, during the passage of the Bill I sought to encourage the Government to address the abuse and corruption of modern-day touts in the criminal secondary football ticketing market, the inadequate funding for the CMA to bring prosecutions and the growing evidence of corrupt stewards, usually working with someone outside the grounds or on social media, providing a facsimile of a digital ticket to a purchaser for payment. On match days, the purchaser is made aware of what turnstile to go to with the facsimile and which member of staff to speak to in order to allow them illegal entry into the stadium with a master access card or override button on the turnstile.

This is a growing problem and I hope both cases will be considered by the Home Office and addressed in legislation, not least that on secondary ticketing which will hopefully come before the House in the next Session. In the meantime, I wish the noble Lord well and thank him for all his work on this Bill, in the hope that, by avoiding any further protracted debates, the Bill may reach the statute book in this Session.

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Brennan of Canton, should be very proud; I do not think there can be many people who have introduced the same Bill in consecutive Sessions, in two different Parliaments and two different Houses, with support from two different Governments. We thank him very much for his part in ushering these provisions on to the statute book.

The provisions flow from the review led by the noble Baroness, Lady Casey of Blackstock, commissioned by the Football Association, into the events at the Euros final at Wembley in 2021 and the sensible recommendations of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, of which I think the noble Lord was a member in another place in the last Parliament. The previous Government supported these provisions before the general election and these Benches are happy to reiterate our support today. I am glad that extends to my noble friend Lord Moynihan, who was the author of the parent Act that the noble Lord’s Bill will amend.

As noble Lords who have followed our other debates on football know, this is an area of public policy that usually passes me by. I have only ever been to one football match in my life, authorised or otherwise, and I cannot remember who won it, but I am looking forward this evening to seeing a play, “Gerry & Sewell”, which follows the adventures of two likely lads from Gateshead trying to obtain season tickets to see Newcastle United. It began in an arts space above a fried chicken shop in Whitley Bay and is playing the West End for the next two weeks. So, football touches the hearts of us all. We are very grateful to the noble Lord for his Bill and wish it a speedy passage on to the statute book.

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for their contributions to this rather lovely debate. I am sorry that the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson, cannot remember who won—probably very diplomatically. I thank particularly the noble Lord, Lord Brennan of Canton, for championing this important measure through both Houses. As the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson, said, it is a really important achievement.

I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, formerly Colin Moynihan, the MP for Lewisham East, where I was one of his constituents and where, despite my heroic campaigning efforts, he kept winning. Today we find ourselves more or less on the same side. I can confirm that the Government have noted his observations and will think seriously about them, and I am glad to have been working with my friend, the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, from our younger days until now.

This Bill is about protecting fans and ensuring that football matches remain safe, welcoming events for all. Unauthorised entry, whether by tailgating or forced entry, puts genuine supporters at risk, strains security and undermines match day experience. With Euro 2028 matches to be played in England and Wales, we must address these issues now so that fans can enjoy world-class football in safety and confidence. This Bill will create a clear offence of unauthorised entry and empower courts to impose football banning orders. Banning orders are a proven deterrent; they prevent repeat offenders jeopardising safety and send a strong message that dangerous or dishonest behaviour will not be tolerated. I should make it clear that this is not about punishing honest mistakes; its safeguards ensure that only those who deliberately flout the rules will be caught.

This is a proportionate, targeted and necessary measure which reflects the unique public order challenges associated with football that are not seen to the same extent in other sports or events. The Bill is consistent with the broader framework of the Football (Offences) Act 1991. It has enjoyed cross-party support throughout its passage and has been welcomed by both the Football Association and the police as a timely and effective response to a growing problem. It is a fan-friendly measure that will protect the vast majority of decent supporters from the actions of a dangerous minority and will help ensure that football remains a safe, welcoming environment for everybody. I commend it to the House.

My Lords, I thank everyone for their contributions this morning. This will be a very brief debate, I hope, which will soon come to a conclusion.

As has been said, this Bill emerged from the review of the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, of the events at the Euros final on 11 July 2021, as referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson. I previously introduced the Bill in the House of Commons. Unfortunately, although it had completed Committee, it fell when former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took a walk in the rain; however, it was picked up subsequently by my colleague Linsey Farnsworth MP in the House of Commons. This slightly amended version of the Bill completed all its Commons stages. It is good to be here, having been there at the kick-off, for the final whistle very shortly.

The Bill’s intention is to create a deterrent to the sorts of scenes that were witnessed at the Euros final by making unauthorised entry into major football matches a specific offence subject to football banning orders. I thank my colleague, Linsey Farnsworth, who did an excellent job in steering the Bill through. I thank all the officials, both from government departments and the staff of this House, for their help and advice in giving this Bill its passage. I thank all the Members of your Lordships’ House who have attended and contributed to the debates on the Bill, in particular the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan. I understand from my noble friend Lord Spellar that he was formerly known, in his days as a Minister, as the “miniature for Sport” rather than the Minister for Sport, by Dennis Skinner. As somebody who is equally vertically challenged, I promise him that I will never use that term in public.

I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson, for his remarks, reminding the public through his football knowledge how in touch we in the House of Lords all are. Finally, I thank my noble friend Lord Lemos for his comments from the Front Bench, and for his support for the Bill. I think we can all agree that, when all is said and done, at the end of the day, football is the winner. I beg to move.

Bill passed.