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Role and responsibilities

We are the Government’s advisor on safety at sports grounds and a world leader in safety.

The SGSA is the UK Government’s advisor on safety at sports grounds and a world leader in safety.

We provide independent, expert advice, based on nearly three decades of experience in making football in England and Wales a safe and enjoyable experience for spectators. We use our experience to advise and support other sports and related industries in the UK and internationally.

Our expert team of Inspectors provide first-rate support and advice based on their collective knowledge of areas including engineering, policing, emergency planning and facilities management. They support individual clubs and grounds, sports bodies, governments, architects and engineers to minimise risk and help deliver safe events for all.

Regulatory role

Our regulatory role is to:

  • issue licences to the 92 Premier League and English Football League grounds, along with Wembley and (as necessary) the Principality Stadium to allow them to permit spectators to watch matches; and
  • oversee local authorities in their duties to sports grounds safety and safety certification.
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SGSA licence

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Set standards

We set safety standards through our internationally-recognised best practice guidance, including the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide), which is used to build and develop sports grounds around the world.

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Setting standards

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Advisory role

We provide safety advice and support to other sports both in the UK and internationally. We support in areas including:

  • Strategic advice, including diagnosing physical infrastructure and safety management risks to existing, new and refurbished stadiums.
  • Proactive action planning to enable sports bodies/grounds to develop and enhance spectator safety.
  • Educating to plan and prepare for challenging scenarios through the provision of training and scenario planning programmes.
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Advisory Services

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