Football (Offences) Act 1991
| Year | 1991 |
Football (Offences) Act1991
1991 CHAPTER 19
An Act to make further provision with respect to disorderly conduct by persons attending football matches; and for connected purposes.
[27th June 1991]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Designated football matches.
(1) In this Act a ‘designated football match’ means an association football match designated, or of a description designated, for the purposes of this Act by order of the Secretary of State.
Any such order shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(2) References in this Act to things done at a designated football match include anything done at the ground—
(a) within the period beginning two hours before the start of the match or (if earlier) two hours before the time at which it is advertised to start and ending one hour after the end of the match; or
(b) where the match is advertised to start at a particular time on a particular day but does not take place on that day, within the period beginning two hours before and ending one hour after the advertised starting time.
2 Throwing of missiles.
2. It is an offence for a person at a designated football match to throw anything at or towards—
(a) the playing area, or any area adjacent to the playing area to which spectators are not generally admitted, or
(b) any area in which spectators or other persons are or may be present,
without lawful authority or lawful excuse (which shall be for him to prove).
3 Indecent or racialist chanting.
(1) It is an offence to take part at a designated football match in chanting of an indecent or racialist nature.
(2) For this purpose—
(a) ‘chanting’ means the repeated uttering of any words or sounds in concert with one or more others; and
(b) ‘of a racialist nature’ means consisting of or including matter which is threatening, abusive or insulting to a person by reason of his colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins.
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