Non-League Teams Fear New Anti-Terror Law Could Be Too Costly To Follow
3 min read
There is concern within English football that new anti-terror legislation will be too expensive for some smaller clubs to follow.
Non-league football grounds are among the venues that will be required to take steps to prepare for a terrorist attack under the new Terrorism (Protection and Premises) Bill.
Introduced to the House of Commons this month, the bill also known as 'Martyn’s Law' – named for Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester arena bombing in 2017 – aims to better prepare organisations that host gatherings of people to respond to an attack.
The legislation was originally announced by former Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak in December 2022 in response to claims that Manchester Arena staff were ill-prepared to identify risks and handle the attack which killed 22 people and injured over a thousand more.
PoliticsHome previously reported that while there was widespread support for the spirit of the law, there was concern that it would difficult for small venues like village halls to implement.
Now that the Labour Government is taking the plans forward, those concerns are emerging in football, too. A National League source told PoliticsHome they were “concerned” about the costs to smaller football clubs, many of which are already under financial pressure.
Under the new law, venues and grounds will be categorised as either standard tier premises, which hold between 200-800 people, and enhanced tier premises which have a capacity of more than 800.
All 24 National League clubs will have to abide by enhanced tier rules, with stakeholders fearful the new regulations will put up costs by forcing amateur and semi-professional clubs to spend money on upgrades like enhanced security, more staff, CCTV and metal defectors.
One club chairman said it could also make it more difficult to fans to enter the ground on matchday. "Some of the extra requirements could delay entry to the ground," they told PoliticsHome.
Home Office data suggests more than 10,000 sports facilities and more than 200 stadiums and arenas will have to prepare for the new regulations.
If a venue repeatedly fails to comply with the rules, a responsible person such as a football club chairman could face heavy fines and even prosecution. However, a government source said a case is very unlikely to reach this point.
The implementation of the bill will be regulated by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), which will support and guide clubs and similar venues in following the new rules.
Staff at venues of all sizes will be trained to warn attendees in the event of an attack, lockdown and evacuate the premises, use fire safety equipment, call emergency services and alert neighbours of a violent assault.
A Home Office spokesperson told PoliticsHome: “The first duty of government is to keep the country safe and Martyn’s Law will strengthen the security at public events and venues.
“The Regulator will mainly act as an educator in the first instance, offering advice and guidance to premises with sanctions only applied in cases of serious or persistent non-compliance.”
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