Criminal Legislation Affecting Fans

While responsibility for public safety now clearly rests with club management, the preservation of public order, albeit more and more supported by club stewards, is a task undertaken by the police.

The most common charges libelled against football fans by the police include the following:

• Assault
  Every attack directed to take effect physically on the person of another, provided there is criminal intent, is assault, whether or not actual injury is inflicted.
• Breach of the peace
  Breach of the peace is constituted by one or more persons conducting himself or themselves anywhere in a riotous or disorderly manner to the alarm, annoyance or disturbance of the lieges.
• The Public Order Act 1986
  Penalises those who use threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or display any written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, if they intend thereby to stir up racial hatred or having regard to all the circumstances racial hatred is likely to be stirred up; and those who enter or attempt to enter a sports ground whilst in possession of any article which is a firework or any article or substance whose main purpose is the emission of a flare for the purpose of illumination or signalling or the emission of smoke or visible gas.
• The Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995
  Penalises those who, travel to and from sporting events, whilst carrying alcohol on buses and trains; those attempting to enter or found inside a sports ground with controlled containers (bottle, cans &c); those attempting to enter or found inside a sports ground whilst in possession of alcohol; and those attempting to enter or found inside a sports ground whilst drunk.

The Lord Advocate's Instructions to Chief Constable's Regarding Incidents During Sporting Events |More...|

Scottish Police College Website |More...|

Strathclyde Police Website |More...|

Scottish Police Service Website |More...|

Scottish Courts Website |More...|

Scottish Law Online |More...|