Oversight and Licensing Policy

The Oversight and Licensing Policy outlines how the SGSA will discharge its powers under the Football Spectators Act 1989.

Our principal purpose is to ensure sports grounds are safe for everyone. 

Under the provisions of the 1989 Act, we have two regulatory responsibilities:

1. To keep under review the discharge by local authorities of their functions under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 in relation to grounds at which designated football matches are played (section 13 of the 1989 Act).
2. To issue licences to admit spectators to any premises for the purpose of watching any designated football match played at those premises (sections 10-12 of the 1989 Act).

Designated football matches are defined as those matches played at the home grounds of clubs in the Premier and English Football Leagues, Wembley and the Principality Stadium.

We will use our regulatory powers in a risk-based and proportionate way, ensuring that the focus of attention is on those sports grounds where the actions or inactions of the ground management or the local authority threaten to compromise the reasonable safety of those at the ground.

The Oversight and Licensing Policy outlines:

• Our regulatory objectives
• Our relationship with other agencies and regulatory bodies
• Oversight of local authorities
• How we will respond to a significant safety issue
• National safety issues
• SGSA licensing, including our processes, compliance and enforcement