Policing at football matches

[RecordBreakers]

Just heard on talksport the met police have said its about time London clubs stumped up for the policing of games? Did I hear that correctly? I thought all clubs had to pay for the policing at games?

 

[Cheesebored]

Just heard on talksport the met police have said its about time London clubs stumped up for the policing of games? Did I hear that correctly? I thought all clubs had to pay for the policing at games?

Happy to be corrected but I think the club's are only responsible for policing within the grounds. The areas around the grounds, traIn stations, etc, falls on the tax payer.

 

[RecordBreakers]

Happy to be corrected but I think the club's are only responsible for policing within the grounds. The areas around the grounds, traIn stations, etc, falls on the tax payer.

Correct I've just been reading the exact same, the £18m bill is funded by the taxpayer while the clubs pay for policing inside the stadium.

 

[More Bladier than thou]

So they should, football clubs generate crazy income and footballers earn way too much, and all of it needs to form part of FFP

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

No.
Us as visiting fans are already paying for policing as part of our tax bill.
Police could just stick any charge in they wanted.
Why are London clubs singled out in that report? Dagenham should pay but Man City not?

 

[BiggerBladeThanThou]

“The provision of policing at a football match is governed by section 25 of the Police Act 1996.
In effect special police services are extra police officers provided for the purposes of security at the stadium. That is billed and paid by the club.

Full-cost policing would extend the definition of special police services beyond the “footprint” of the event and include so-called “consequential policing”, that is policing which is provided beyond the event itself at train stations or town centres to deal with crowds arriving at and leaving a commercial event. That is paid by the taxpayers.”

 

[Snake]

Yep, as I understand it policing inside the stadium is paid for by the club - hence why there are zillions of cheap as chips stewards and very few (if any) police.

At the moment, with the public footing the bill, proper planning and risk assessments on resources etc are more likely in place. If the club had to pay for policing outside the stadium too, no doubt it would be a gravy train for the police. They'd over-hype every event and it would be money for nowt for lots of em - probably on double time over-time rate too!

 

[Tickhill Blade]

I think that Reg Brealey challenged whether the club should pay for policing inside the ground, sometime in the mid 80s, but lost in court. The case was always sighted as an example of 'consideration' when I did some (very basic) contract law donkeys years ago.

 

[jim2007]

Club is responsible for everything that happens on its private property ('within its curtilage') and has to pay for policing services that it requests in those places. If it doesn't request them it won't get them - ring 999 would be the answer. At the Lane that would include the car parks, but not say, the roadway of Bramall Lane where opposing fans mingle pre and post match. That's all on the public purse. The judgement was probably fair but had some perverse consequences for clubs like Chesterfield whose ground sits in a big car park on all four sides of the stadium.

Ipswich Town took Suffolk police to court about 10 years ago and won a judgement confirming this, and that now defines the law in this area. IIRC Portman Road (last there in 1990, 2-2 draw?) abuts the highway on all four sides of the ground, so they significantly reduced their costs as a result.

 

[steve26272]

Maybe clubs should have to foot the bill for all costs incurred by policing a match

Coppers escorting coaches, blocking off roads, geared up in riot vans just in case

This will take up an entire shift, or what 100-200?

We bemoan traffic cops for pulling us over for speeding and ask ‘why aren’t you out there catching burglars and rapists’ yet fund (as tax payers) for them to stand around chatting all day, all to service a business making millions

 

[AWetFlannel]

Imagine clubs having to pay the police to intimidate and bully fans outside the ground on a match day. Fuck that.

 

[dexter101]

Does anyone know how much tax is paid by footballers? Obviously their wages are vast (especially in the big london clubs) and therefore should be contributing a lot of tax payments too. Not sure how it works with foreign players though.

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

Imagine clubs having to pay the police to intimidate and bully fans outside the ground on a match day. Fuck that.

This

 

[brownblade]

Does anyone know how much tax is paid by footballers? Obviously their wages are vast (especially in the big london clubs) and therefore should be contributing a lot of tax payments too. Not sure how it works with foreign players though.

Approaching half of their salary, minus tax loopholes presumably.

 

[dexter101]

Approaching half of their salary, minus tax loopholes presumably.

So quick google, showing £27,000,000 per year for our wage bill, so in theory should be about £13,000,000 in tax.

"According to the figures provided by South Yorkshire Police, the force spent a total of £961,169.98 policing Sheffield United matches over the four seasons, and received £263,233.04 from the club, resulting in a net spend of £697,936.94"

I know it doesn't work like this but Sheffield united contribute much more in tax than it costs to police our games.

 

[Pintor75]

Maybe if we cut back on the millions of stewards at the lane, we could pay our cop bill

 

[Numpty's Dusty Ruts.]

Does anyone know how much tax is paid by footballers? Obviously their wages are vast (especially in the big london clubs) and therefore should be contributing a lot of tax payments too. Not sure how it works with foreign players though.

They'll have tax lawyers and probably pay less than me and the!!

 

[derbysufc]

Doesn't need coppers at games .
The odd one yes .
If geezers want aggro let them at it) queensberry rules , gypsy rules .
Separate the men from the coked up dickheads

 

[JJBlade]

Does anyone know how much tax is paid by footballers? Obviously their wages are vast (especially in the big london clubs) and therefore should be contributing a lot of tax payments too. Not sure how it works with foreign players though.

Foreign players are taxed in the UK as they are UK resident for their entire contract

 

[LBA_Blade]

When people say it’s just a game. My response is always the same the 90 mins or so on the pitch is but what professional football does in other economies whether rightly or wrongly is so diverse from policing to travel, from merchandising to pubs etc the list goes on. The hundreds of thousands that travel each week whether that be in the PL to non-league are funding an economy that “it’s only a game is”

 

[JT89]

Does anyone know how much tax is paid by footballers? Obviously their wages are vast (especially in the big london clubs) and therefore should be contributing a lot of tax payments too. Not sure how it works with foreign players though.

Approaching half of their salary, minus tax loopholes presumably.

The players are PAYE so it doesn't matter if they're foreign, the club pays them and then pays their tax/NI to HMRC. "Tax loopholes" would probably only apply to any extra income they receive from sponsors, brand deals, etc which would likely be paid into a company registered somewhere outside the UK.

 

[Grizzly blade]

It’s public money that’s being spent, and that’s determined by government.
Public votes for government so it’s clearly deemed an acceptable use of public funds.-
Clearly if folk could manage to get themselves to and from football without causing any issues for the wider public, transport systems etc then the cops wouldn’t be needed. Sadly, that isn’t the case and the Human rights act defines that police are duty bound to act where they are aware that such risks are likely to take place.

So whether they want to do it or not (and I don’t believe many do as they don’t get overtime just their days off cancelled and re-rostered in most cases) they have little choice in it.
Personally speaking we can’t treat football any different to any event. Be it music events or simply weekends in busy cities where there is still a culture of drinking. If football was ordered to stump up to cover problems arising from their games then it would end up being extended into other areas of society events.