Guidance

Carriage of passengers to designated association football matches: Voluntary Guidelines - England and Wales

Updated 19 July 2023

Applies to England and Wales

1. Legal Requirements

PSV operators are reminded of the terms of section 1(1) of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985, as amended by the Public Order Act 1986, which prohibits the carriage of alcohol on a PSV that is being used for the principal purpose of carrying passengers for the whole or part of a journey to or from a designated sporting event.

PSV operators are also reminded of the terms of section 2A of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985, as amended by the Public Order Act 1986, which prohibits the possession of a firework or an article or substance, whose main purpose is the emission of a flare, smoke or a visible gas, at any time during the period of, while entering or trying to enter a designated sporting event.

A ‘designated sporting event’ generally means certain association football matches, whether national or international, as defined in Schedule 2 of the Sports Grounds and Sporting Events (Designation) Order 2005 (as amended). It is an offence for an operator of a PSV (or his servant or agent) to knowingly cause or permit the carriage of alcohol on journeys to which these Regulations apply.

2. Voluntary Guidelines on the carriage of passengers to designated association football matches - England and Wales

For many years the PSV industry has complied with a voluntary code of practice whereby operators taking passengers to a designated sporting event meet certain guidelines set by the police. This has worked very well, and it has seldom been necessary for a traffic commissioner to take any further action against an operator who has contravened the guidelines. Nevertheless the police in England and Wales are concerned that incidents of football related violence and disorder do still occur.

The guidelines were drafted in conjunction with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Coach Operators Federation (COF) and the Association of Transport Coordinating Officers (ATCO) and are set out below:

a. PSV operators taking bookings from groups of supporters are to notify the relevant Dedicated Football Officer (DFO), at least 48 hours before the event, of the number of supporters expected to travel, the number of vehicles booked, the name and the contact number for the person who made the booking. Once available the operator must also notify the VRM and driver’s name to the relevant Dedicated Football Officer.

For the purpose of these guidelines, the relevant Dedicated Football Officer means the DFO for the club that the fans are travelling to support. For example, West Ham are playing a premier league game away to Leeds United. Operator A has been contracted to transport West Ham fans from Romford and the relevant DFO is the DFO for West Ham. Operator B has been contracted to carry Leeds United fans to the game from Barrow in Furness. In this case the relevant DFO is the DFO for Leeds.

b. Vehicles are not to stop within 10 miles of the venue either enroute to, or on departure from the event unless prior agreement is obtained from the relevant Dedicated Football Officer.

c. Unless directed by a police officer, PSVs may stop at premises where intoxicating liquor is sold only if it is sold ancillary to a substantial meal. Prior agreement for meal stops where alcohol is available should be sought from the operator’s relevant Dedicated Football Officer.

d. PSVs are to arrive at the venue no earlier than two hours before and not later than one hour before the scheduled start of the game, unless otherwise directed by police.

e. PSVs are not to set down or uplift passengers at any unauthorised locations without prior permission of the police.

f. PSVs must leave the venue within 30 minutes of the finish of the event, unless directed otherwise by a police officer or ground safety officer.

g. PSV operators are to follow all reasonable instruction given by police or enforcement officers at all times. This includes, but is not limited to, routing and stopping arrangements.

h. Intoxicating liquor, flares and similar pyrotechnics, must not be carried on PSVs travelling to or from designated grounds. Operators will draw hirers’ attention to the requirements of the law, and drivers shall, as far as reasonably practical, supervise boarding passengers and check that they are not obviously carrying intoxicating alcohol, flares and similar pyrotechnics. Drivers will not be expected to carry out baggage or body searches, nor will they be expected to confiscate alcohol or to remove passengers without police assistance. Operators may add a condition of entry to the PSV that a voluntary search may be undertaken.

i. PSV operators are to notify the Dedicated Football Officer at the destination upon arrival at an away football ground, of any chanting demonstrating hostility based on race, ethnicity religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity or chanting of an otherwise grossly offensive or inflammatory nature which had taken place during the journey to the ground.

j. PSV operators are to have established safeguarding policies when carrying persons under the age of 18 years old. This is to include arrangements for the nomination of at least one responsible adult for the minors carried.