The Football Spectators (Designation of Football Matches in England and Wales) Order 1999

Statutory Instruments

1999 No. 2461

SPORTS GROUNDS AND SPORTING EVENTS

The Football Spectators (Designation of Football Matches in England and Wales) Order 1999

Made

6th September 1999

Laid before Parliament

6th September 1999

Coming into force

27th September 1999

In exercise of the powers conferred upon the Secretary of State by section 1(2) of the Football Spectators Act 1989(1), I hereby make the following Order:

1.  This Order may be cited as the Football Spectators (Designation of Football Matches in England and Wales) Order 1999 and shall come into force on 27th September 1999.

2.  The Football Spectators (Designation of Football Matches in England and Wales) Order 1993(2) is hereby revoked.

3.  An association football match (played in England or Wales) specified in the Schedule to this Order shall be a designated match for the purposes of Part I of the Football Spectators Act 1989.

Lord Steve Bassam

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Home Office

6th September 1999

Article 3

SCHEDULE DESIGNATED FOOTBALL MATCHES

An association football match—

(a) in which one or both of the participating teams represents a club which is for the time being a member (whether a full or associate member) of the Football League or the Football Association Premier League, or represents a club, country or territory outside England and Wales, and

(b) which is played at a sports ground which is designated by order under section 1(1) of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975(3), or registered with the Football League or the Football Association Premier League as the home ground of a club which is a member of the Football League or the Football Association Premier League at the time the match is played.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order designates association football matches for the purposes of Part I of the Football Spectators Act 1989. Under section 1(1) of that Act, Part I applies to designated football matches played in England and Wales.

By virtue of section 14(6) of the 1989 Act, which is contained in Part II of that Act, the designation of matches for the purposes of Part I also has effect for the purposes of Part II. Under section 14(5), the offences which are relevant for the purposes of the making by a court of an international football banning order (under section 15) are those specified in Schedule 1 to that Act as relevant offences. The offences described in paragraphs (b) to (l) and (n) to (p) of that Schedule (as amended by the Football (Offences and Disorder) Act 1999 (c. 21)) refer to a “designated football match” and, under section 14(6) such designation refers to designation for the purposes of Part I (in respect of certain offences, designation for the purposes of Part II is also relevant). Designation under Part I also has effect for the purposes of Part IV of the Public Order Act 1986 (c. 64) as the offences which are relevant for the making of a domestic football banning order (under section 30 of that Act as amended by section 6 of the Football (Offences and Disorder) Act 1999) are also those specified in Schedule 1 to the 1989 Act.

The other relevant provisions of Part I which are currently in force relate to the granting of licences by the Football Licensing Authority to admit spectators to any premises for the purposes of watching any designated football match played there; section 9 which makes it an offence to admit spectators to watch designated football matches unless they are played at premises licensed by the Football Licensing Authority; and section 13 which gives the Authority functions concerning local authorities' discharge of their functions under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 (c. 52) in relation to sports grounds at which designated matches are played.

(1)

1989 c. 37; the power in section 1(2) is supplemented by section 1(4)(a) of that Act.

(2)

S.I. 1993/1691.

(3)

1975 c. 52; section 1(1) was amended by Schedule 2 to the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 (c. 27).