Premier League clubs are bracing themselves for a potential increase in policing costs, with some fearing it could lead to millions of pounds being added to their bills. The Home Office is currently conducting consultations on the issue, which would see football clubs take on the responsibility of covering costs associated with policing surrounding areas and stadiums during matches.
Currently, only clubs are responsible for paying for policing within their own grounds, but senior officers believe that this should also include costs associated with maintaining law and order in surrounding areas and at stadiums on matchdays. This could have a significant impact on football leagues, international rugby and cricket matches, the London Marathon, and other events such as Pride.
The proposed changes would mean that clubs would take on an additional £56.82 million of policing costs, which is currently borne by taxpayers. Mark Roberts, the head of the UK Football Policing Unit, believes that this change would enable 1,200 more officers to be deployed on Britain's streets and argues it is unfair that top football clubs can spend significant sums on player transfers but only pay a fraction of what they claim it costs to police their matches.
However, the Football Association, Rugby Football Union, England & Wales Cricket Board, Jockey Club, Silverstone, and Boat Race have warned that this change would "damage a crucial sector of the economy". The Home Office has been working on the issue since October, with Minister Sarah Jones stating that it is exploring ways to address what she described as an "unreasonable" cost.
The impact of these proposed changes could be significant for clubs, with policing costs for some events already reported to be extremely high. For example, a recent Europa League match saw policing costs escalate to £2 million, while Millwall and Leeds United were reportedly told that they would need to cover a policing bill of over £100,000 if the match took place at their respective grounds.
Currently, only clubs are responsible for paying for policing within their own grounds, but senior officers believe that this should also include costs associated with maintaining law and order in surrounding areas and at stadiums on matchdays. This could have a significant impact on football leagues, international rugby and cricket matches, the London Marathon, and other events such as Pride.
The proposed changes would mean that clubs would take on an additional £56.82 million of policing costs, which is currently borne by taxpayers. Mark Roberts, the head of the UK Football Policing Unit, believes that this change would enable 1,200 more officers to be deployed on Britain's streets and argues it is unfair that top football clubs can spend significant sums on player transfers but only pay a fraction of what they claim it costs to police their matches.
However, the Football Association, Rugby Football Union, England & Wales Cricket Board, Jockey Club, Silverstone, and Boat Race have warned that this change would "damage a crucial sector of the economy". The Home Office has been working on the issue since October, with Minister Sarah Jones stating that it is exploring ways to address what she described as an "unreasonable" cost.
The impact of these proposed changes could be significant for clubs, with policing costs for some events already reported to be extremely high. For example, a recent Europa League match saw policing costs escalate to £2 million, while Millwall and Leeds United were reportedly told that they would need to cover a policing bill of over £100,000 if the match took place at their respective grounds.
I mean, can you imagine having to pay millions for extra police officers just because of a footy match? It's not fair to the fans or the clubs themselves. They're already struggling with rising ticket prices and whatnot. And let's be real, £100k is a small fortune for a little event like Millwall vs Leeds United... 
I'm also wondering how this will affect the smaller clubs, they'll be hit hard, right? 
. Like, I get it, safety is important, but come on, we already pay enough in taxes... and now we gotta shell out millions more just 'cause of football matches? It's like they think we're made of money 
I just read about this news and I'm like "wait what?!" 
I don't understand why they wanna make clubs pay for all that extra stuff. Like, I get it, policing costs can be high but is it really fair to slap an extra £56m on top of them? 
How is it gonna be fair if clubs gotta cover that too? 
. It's just not fair to expect smaller clubs and events to foot the bill for every single police officer needed to keep an eye on things 
. I mean, we get it, football matches can get rowdy but who's going to control the crowd? The police? They're already overworked and underfunded, are they really just going to magically show up at every stadium in the country 
. I love watching Premier League matches with my friends, but think about all those fans who can't afford to go to the stadium anymore because they'll have to pay for policing? 
This could be disastrous for a lot of people who just want to enjoy themselves without breaking the bank 
.