Sports Events Offences

Question 1

Offences applicable to Sports Events are covered under that legislation?

Answer 1

The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 and the Football (Offences) Act 1991.

Question 2

What is the only sport considered necessary to control?

Answer 2

Football

Question 3

What does The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 apply to?

Answer 3

Sports grounds, certain sporting events, and designated periods relation to those sporting events.

It applies to football matches only if both the particular sports ground and match have been designed by the Secretary of State of Statutory Instrument 2005 No 3204.

Question 4

What does The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 not apply to?

Answer 4

Any sporting event in which players are not paid, nor if spectators are admitted free of charge.

Question 5

Offences under The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 can only be considered if they occur when?

Answer 5

During the period commencing two hours before the start of a football match and ending one hours after the end of the match.

Question 6

What does The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 apply to with regards to the transport of passengers to sports events?

Answer 6

Drivers and passengers which are used for the journey to a sporting event are subject to s 1 of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985.

Question 7

The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 and the transport of passengers to sports events

Key legislation

Answer 7

Public service vehicles covered by this legislation include buses and coaches, passenger trains and minibuses.

It is an offence to s 1(2) to knowingly cause or permit intoxicating liquor to be carried on such a vehicle. This includes operator and person who hired it.

It is an offence for such a person to have intoxicating liquor in his/her possession (s 1(3)) or to be drunk (s 1 (4)) on a vehicle where s 1A applies.

This offence is is triable summarily and the penalty is a fine for s 1(2) or (4) offences, and three months imprisonment and/or a fine for an offence under s 1(3).

Question 8

Alcohol and drinks containers at a designated sporting event

Section 2(1) of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 is often imposed for football matches where there is a potential for disorder. Under this legislation it is a summary offence to do what?

Answer 8

Posses alcohol or drinks containers likely to contain alcohol.

The containers covered by this legislation are defined in s 2(3) as ‘any article or other portable container for holding any drink, which when empty is normally discarded or returned to the supplier and which is capable of causing injury to a person struck by it.’

Question 9

Alcohol and drinks containers at a designated sporting event

Section 2(1) applies when?

Answer 9

Any time during the period of a designated sporting event when the person is either in any area of the sports ground which the event may be directly viewed, or entering the sports ground.

Question 10

Alcohol and drinks containers at a designated sporting event

Section 2(1) penalty

Answer 10

A fine.

Question 11

Fireworks, flares and similar articles at a designated sporting event

What section of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 covers the possession of fireworks and similar objects at designated sporting events?

Answer 11

Section 2A

Question 12

Section 2A of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 lists its prohibited objects as…

Answer 12

(s 2A(3) and (4)

Include fireworks, rockets, distress flares, fog signals, pellets and fumigator capsules and any other item which is for the emission of a flare for purposes of illuminating or signalling, or the emission of smoke or visible gas.

Question 13

Powers of entry and search for sports grounds

What section of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 allows a police officer to enter and search any part of the ground if he/she has reasonable grounds to suspect the an offence under the same Act is being committed?

Answer 13

Section 7

Question 14

What does section 7 of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 permit?

Answer 14

Allows a police officer to enter and search any part of the ground if he/she has reasonable grounds to suspect the an offence under the same Act is being committed.

Question 15

What is the Football (Offences) Act 1991?

Answer 15

Deals with problem behaviour at football matches. It covers throwing objects, racist chanting, and pitch invasions.

Question 16

Football (Offences) Act 1991

Define “designated football match”

Answer 16

In this Act a “designated football match” means an association football match designated, or of a description designated, for the purposes of this Act by order of the Secretary of State.

Question 17

Football (Offences) Act 1991

What is section 2?

Answer 17

It is an offence for a person at a designated football match to throw anything at or towards—

(a) the playing area, or any area adjacent to the playing area to which spectators are not generally admitted, or
(b) any area in which spectators or other persons are or may be present,

Question 18

Football (Offences) Act 1991

What is section 3

Answer 18

Indecent or racialist chanting

(1) It is an offence to take part at a designated football match in chanting of an indecent or racialist nature.
(2) For this purpose—
(a) “chanting” means the repeated uttering of any words or sounds in concert with one or more others; and
(b) “of a racialist nature” means consisting of or including matter which is threatening, abusive or insulting to a person by reason of his colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins.

Question 19

Football (Offences) Act 1991

What is section 4

Answer 19

Going onto the playing area

It is an offence for a person at a designated football match to go onto the playing area, or any area adjacent to the playing area to which spectators are not generally admitted, without lawful authority or lawful excuse (which shall be for him to prove).

Question 20

Football (Offences) Act 1991

A person guilty of an offence under this Act is liable to what?

Answer 20

Offence is triable summarily and the penalty is a fine.