Ground regulations -- reminder

By Ray Simpson

Ground regulations -- reminder

The Football Association has requested all Clubs to display the following Ground Regulations. These...

The Football Association has requested all Clubs to display the following Ground Regulations.

 

These Ground Regulations shall apply to each Match taking place at the Ground. Entry to the Ground shall constitute acceptance of these Ground Regulations and the Rules and Regulations.

 

Definitions:

"Club" means this football club.

"Football Authorities" means the Football League, the Premier League, The Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, the league of which the Club is in membership from time to time, FIFA, UEFA and any other relevant governing body of association football.

"Ground" means this football stadium and all locations owned, occupied or utilised by the Club.

"Ground Regulations" means these ground regulations, as amended from time to time.

"Match" means any association football match (or any part or aspect of such a match) taking place at the Ground.

"Material" means any audio, digital, visual or audio-visual material or any information or data.

"Rules and Regulations" means each of the rules and regulations of the Football Authorities that may be relevant to the Match, the Club and/or the Ground from time to time.

 

Entry to the Ground shall constitute acceptance of these Ground Regulations and the Rules and Regulations. All persons entering the Ground must have paid the relevant admission charge. Proof of age, where an age concession is claimed, and proof of identity may be required and must be supplied on demand.

Notwithstanding possession of any ticket the Club, any police officer or authorised steward may refuse entry to (or eject from) the Ground any person:

2.1     who fails (or in the Club's reasonable opinion is likely to fail) to comply with these Ground Regulations or any reasonable instruction issued by a police officer or authorised steward; and/or

2.2     whose presence within the Ground is, or could (in the Club's reasonable opinion), constitute a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to any other person.

  1. On no account will admission be granted to a person who is the subject of a current Banning Order under the Football Spectators Act 1989 (as amended) or has been convicted of ticket touting offences under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (as amended).

The Club excludes, to the maximum extent permitted by law, any liability for loss, injury or damage to persons and property in or around the Ground. Nothing in these Ground Regulations shall exclude the Club’s liability for death or personal injury caused by the Club’s negligence.

No guarantees can be given by the Club that a Match will take place at a particular time or on a particular date, or at all, and the Club reserves the right to reschedule or cancel a Match without notice.

In the event of the postponement, cancellation or abandonment of the Match (or if the Match has, for any reason, to be played out of the view of the public), refunds (if any) will be made in accordance with the specific ticket terms and conditions applicable to your ticket purchase. The Club will have no further liability whatsoever, including (but not limited to) liability for any in direct or consequential loss or damage, such as (but not limited to) loss of enjoyment or travel costs.

All persons seeking entrance to the Ground acknowledge and agree to the Club’s reasonable right to search any person, and their belongings, entering the Ground and to refuse entry to or eject from the Ground any person refusing to submit to such a search.

Further, you may not bring into the Ground any sponsorship, promotional or marketing materials save in respect of official club merchandise and/or other football related clothing nor may you offer (either free or for sale by any person) any goods (including literature) of any nature without the express written approval of the Club.

The following articles must not be brought within the Ground – knives, fireworks or any other pyrotechnics, smoke canisters, air-horns, flares, weapons, dangerous or hazardous items, laser devices, glass bottles, glass vessels, cans, poles, any articles that are prohibited by the Rules and Regulations, and any article that might be used as a weapon and/or compromise public safety. Any person in possession of such items will be refused entry to (or ejected from) the Ground.

The use of threatening behaviour and/or foul or abusive language is strictly forbidden and may result in arrest and/or ejection from the Ground. The Club may impose a ban (including, but not limited to, a ban for one or more Matches) and/or the removal of season ticket(s) for any such behaviour.

Any act of victimization as defined in the Equality Act 2010 or any act of discrimination by reason of ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, religion or belief, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, disability age, pregnancy, maternity, marital status or civil partnership, or other forms of harassment is strictly forbidden and will result in arrest and/or ejection from the Ground. The Club may impose a ban (including, but not limited to, a ban for one or more Matches) and/or the removal of season ticket(s) for any such behaviour.

Nobody may stand in any seating area whilst play is in progress. Persistent standing in seated areas whilst play is in progress is strictly forbidden and may result in ejection from the Ground and, in addition, the Club may impose a ban (including, but not limited to, a ban for one or more Matches) and/or the removal of season ticket(s) for any such behaviour.

  1. The obstruction of gangways, access ways, exits and entrances, stairways and like places is strictly forbidden. Nobody entering the Ground shall be permitted to climb any structures within the Ground.
  2. With the exception of the designated smoking areas, smoking (including the use of electronic cigarettes) is not permitted in any part of the Ground and will result in ejection from the Ground.
  3. Mobile telephones, smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices are permitted within the Ground provided that they are used for personal and private use only (which, by way of example only, shall not include the capturing, logging, recording, transmitting, playing, issuing, showing, or any other communication of any Material for any commercial purposes).

16      Under the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 (as amended), the following are offences for which a person can be arrested by a police officer and conviction could result in a Banning Order being made under the Football Spectators Act 1989 (as amended):

16.1    Attempting to enter the Ground or being inside the Ground whilst drunk;

16.2    Being in possession of any intoxicating liquor, or bottle, can or other portable container and which could cause damage or personal injury, when entering the Ground or in a public area of the Ground from which the event can be directly viewed.

  1. Under the Football (Offences) Act 1991 (as amended) the following are offences for which a person can be arrested by a police officer and conviction could result in a Banning Order being made under the Football Spectators Act 1989 (as amended): The list is non-exhaustive.

17.1. The throwing of any object within the Ground without lawful authority or excuse;

17.2. The chanting of anything of a racist, homophobic or discriminatory nature; and/or

17.3. The entry onto the playing area or any adjacent area to which spectators are not generally admitted without lawful authority or excuse.

  1. Any individual who has entered any part of the Ground designated for these of any group of supporters to which he does not belong may be ejected from the Ground either for the purposes of his own safety or for any other reason.
  2. Save as set out in Condition 15 above, no person (other than a person who holds an appropriate licence) may capture, log, record, transmit, play, issue, show or otherwise communicate (by digital or other means) any Material in relation to the Match, any players or other persons present in the Ground and/or the Ground, nor may they bring into the Ground or use within the Ground (or provide to, facilitate or otherwise assist another person to use within the Ground) any equipment or technology which is capable of capturing, logging, recording, transmitting, playing, issuing, showing or otherwise communicating (by digital or other means) any such Material. Copyright, database rights and any other intellectual property rights in any unauthorised recording or transmission is assigned (by way of present assignment of future rights) to the Club and the relevant Football Authority responsible for the Match. You further agree (if and whenever required to do so by the Club) to promptly execute all instruments and do all things necessary to vest the right, title and interest in such rights to the Club and the relevant Football Authority responsible for the Match absolutely and with full title guarantee.
  3. Tickets are not transferable and may not be offered for sale without the prior written permission of the Club or otherwise as set out in the express terms and conditions of such tickets. Any tickets offered for sale in breach of the terms and conditions thereof may be confiscated by any steward or officer of the Club or any police officer. The Club reserves the right to refuse admission to or eject from the Ground, any person who has transferred his/her ticket in contravention of the relevant ticket terms and conditions (and/or the holder of any ticket that has been transferred in contravention of the relevant ticket terms and conditions). In the event of any refusal of admission or ejection from the Ground no refund shall be payable. Tickets remain the property of the Club at all times.
  4. By entering the Ground, all persons acknowledge that photographic images and/or video recordings and/or stills taken from those video recordings may be taken of them and may also be used by the Club for marketing or promotional purposes. Entry into the Ground is confirmation that all persons have consented to such use of their image unless the Club is notified in writing to the contrary. If any images should feature an individual prominently the Club will make reasonable efforts to gain the consent of that person before publishing such image. If such person is under 18 years of age, the parent, guardian, responsible adult who is accompanying them into the Ground shall be deemed to have provided consent on their behalf.
  5. CCTV cameras are in use around and in the Ground and the Club may itself use or transfer to the police or any Football Authority any recordings for use in any proceedings, or for health, safety or security purposes. By entering the Ground, you consent to such use and transfer of CCTV footage.
  6. At all times whilst present in the Ground, persons must comply with any and all reasonable instructions and directions of any steward or officer of the Club, any police officer or any officer of any other safety or security service. Failure to comply with any such instruction or direction may lead to the refusal of entry to, or the immediate ejection from, the Ground.
  7. Any person found damaging or defacing the Ground may be prosecuted.
  8. No re-entry to the Ground is permitted unless permission is given by an officer or a steward of the Club.
  9. The Club reserves absolutely the right to refuse entry and eject from the Ground any person that fails (or in the Club’s reasonable opinion is likely to fail) to comply with any of the Ground Regulations or the Rules and Regulations or whose presence within the Ground is, or could (in the Club’s reasonable opinion), be construed as constituting a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to any other person. This could lead to further action by the Club including, but not limited to, the withdrawal of any Club membership and or match ticket and/or season ticket (without reimbursement) and other benefits.
  10. The Club reserves the right to make changes to any of these Ground Regulations from time to time.