The law and football

[Dirk Gently]

I was reading through some examples of football legislation earlier - looking for examples of where the law is diferent for football supporters than it is for other citizens, and I cam across this unbelieveable line in teh legislation relating to the offences that a football banning order can be awarded for :

3. For the purposes of paragraphs 1(g) to (o) above -

(a) a person may be regarded as having been on a journey to or from a football match to which this Schedule applies whether or not he attended or intended to attend the match, and

(b) a person's journey includes breaks (including overnight breaks).

Just how utterly ludicrous is that?!? A person can be regarded as being on their way to a football match even if they had no intention to go there?!? How does that work?

[TheMaraudingDog]

Cos sometimes hoolies travel to towns just to go on the piss all day and have a bit of aggro.

[SpaceCruiser]

Cos sometimes hoolies travel to towns just to go on the piss all day and have a bit of aggro.

And what does that have to do with football?

[TheMaraudingDog]

Cos sometimes hoolies travel to towns just to go on the piss all day and have a bit of aggro.

And what does that have to do with football?

football hooligans

[SpaceCruiser]

Cos sometimes hoolies travel to towns just to go on the piss all day and have a bit of aggro.

And what does that have to do with football?

football hooligans

Can't be. If they're not at the football and are just on the piss, looking for aggro, then they're just hooligans.

[TBM]

Only someone with a simple mind would think like that!

[TheMaraudingDog]

What if half the mob went to the game and the other half stayed in the pub? Would some be football hooligans and others just hooligans?

[Row Z Royal]

Only someone with a simple mind would think like that!

He's got a point this time.

[TBM]

Only someone with a simple mind would think like that!

He's got a point this time.

Not really, as stated in the "law" posted by Dirk

[Ian Royal]

Both sides have a point. It's obviously an attempt to counter hooligan elements which revolve around football teams but have nothing to do with actually going to a game.

I'm not sure it's really needed though... surely anyone going to get pissed up and have a fight can be dealt with by the law regardless of if it's associated with football or not.

Drunk and disorderly. Public order offence of some kind. Job done.

Lets face, it what's the point in banning someone from football if they aren't going to games anyway?

Does it just mean that anyone who happens to own and wear, say a hat with a club badge on it, and gets into a fight can be banned from attending matches? Regardless of whether they got in a fight outside a student club on a thursday night which had nothing to do with football at all?

[Dirk Gently]

Does it just mean that anyone who happens to own and wear, say a hat with a club badge on it, and gets into a fight can be banned from attending matches? Regardless of whether they got in a fight outside a student club on a thursday night which had nothing to do with football at all?

There are legal precedents of exactly that, yes.

[Ian Royal]

Does it just mean that anyone who happens to own and wear, say a hat with a club badge on it, and gets into a fight can be banned from attending matches? Regardless of whether they got in a fight outside a student club on a thursday night which had nothing to do with football at all?

There are legal precedents of exactly that, yes.

Best not get in fights then....

[TheMaraudingDog]

Lets face, it what's the point in banning someone from football if they aren't going to games anyway?

Banning orders extend far outside of just the football stadium. A banning order means that people can't go with a mile of a ground on match days, can't go withing a mile of a town centre in which they're club are playing and can't travel abroad when games are on. There are particulars and variants but generally the banning order stops people getting into trouble which is surely the aim.

[Wimb]

Both sides have a point. It's obviously an attempt to counter hooligan elements which revolve around football teams but have nothing to do with actually going to a game.

I'm not sure it's really needed though... surely anyone going to get pissed up and have a fight can be dealt with by the law regardless of if it's associated with football or not.

Drunk and disorderly. Public order offence of some kind. Job done.

Lets face, it what's the point in banning someone from football if they aren't going to games anyway?

Does it just mean that anyone who happens to own and wear, say a hat with a club badge on it, and gets into a fight can be banned from attending matches? Regardless of whether they got in a fight outside a student club on a thursday night which had nothing to do with football at all?

The point of banning them I believe is that they can then be taken in if they are anywhere near a football game and suspected of planning to cause trouble. It's also useful in being able to stop them travelling abroad for world cup games etc

Whilst I agree its not much to do with football and they could be hauled under some other offences, I think the banning orders etc are designed to prevent any trouble in the first place, rather then punish people afterwards