Government Likely To Tell Police To Charge Football Clubs More

According to the Telegraph the Government are expected to allow police to charge more for 'keeping major events safe.'

Figures suggest that the total bill for police services for football in England and Wales for the 2023-24 season was £71.69m, of which clubs paid only £14.87m (20.7 per cent). 

At present football clubs can be charged for having police officers inside grounds when games take place. But they are not usually charged for officers outside grounds.

It seems that the Government will agree to a change in the law by adding an amendment to its own recently published Crime and Policing 2025 Bill. 

Recently policing minister Sarah Jones said: “The Home Office is concerned that the cost of policing football matches that is currently falling to the public purse is too high and is exploring ways to address this. This is an important issue that requires careful consideration in order to ensure a balance between the costs to the public purse and the wider cultural and economic value of these events.” 

If the Government goes ahead with the changes it isn't yet clear how far down the football pyramid they will apply.