Publication

The Cost of Policing Football Matches: A Decision in Favour of Clubs

Authors:
The recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Leeds United v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2013] EWCA Civ 115 is likely to have important consequences for many football clubs on the cost of police services on match days.

In what is the first case to consider the policing of public land surrounding football stadia, the Court of Appeal found that, contrary to the traditional approach taken by local constabularies, the cost of policing the “extended footprint” of a football stadium is a public duty for which clubs should not necessarily be responsible.