In the SIA sports grounds exemption, what are licensable activities?

‘SIA Licensable activities’ at a SGSA licensed ground are:

1. Stewards searching spectators on their entry to the ground.
2. Stewards specifically tasked with physically intervening against and ejecting spectators who are in breach of ground regulations. This includes decisions on refusal of entry.
3. The supervisors of those stewards in categories a and b immediately above.
4. In a non-front-line capacity, safety officers and chief stewards.

Stewards in safety or customer service roles whose duties do not include searching, ejections or physically intervening where spectators are in breach of ground regulations are not carrying out licensable activities.

These principles were agreed by the football authorities and the then Football Licensing Authority in 2006 when the exemption was first introduced.

‘Licensable activities’ under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 are outlined at gov.uk.

Any steward undertaking SIA licensable activities must have an SIA door supervisor licence.

HOWEVER

Under the sports ground exemption, in-house sports ground staff do not need a licence.

INSTEAD

In-house staff conducting the SIA licensable activities must have an equivalent level of training and vetting.