You have been warned!!!

I heard on the grapevine last night that the Police will be attempting to get as many people whos previously had a football ban on association bans when the Euros are on. I wouldn't want anyone to miss this tournament so I would go as far as to say that if you've had a ban in the past you really need to think that if the better option is to miss this season out completely.

Is that your new excuse not to go and watch City now mate, now your rebrand excuse has died a death?

Make fun all you like but 'if' this is happening then people need to know about it and act accordingly. Potentially all the home nations will be qualifying and they must be shitting themselves

Why would it help your case by not going this season?

You obviously don't realise just how minor evidence they need to try and get an association charge on you then.

You talk some shit if you go to games and behave yourself dont get pissed and act like fool you wont get banned this country is not ruled by a junta who can do what they like

You talk some shit if you go to games and behave yourself dont get pissed and act like fool you wont get banned this country is not ruled by a junta who can do what they like

Do you travel away much? The slightest thing can get you arrested and banned. Virtually guaranteed a conviction if a football fan.

Cardiff Police are as bad on our fans when we travel away as the English Police. I suppose the Cardiff ones are trying to justify their jobs and jollys at taxpayers expense.

You talk some shit if you go to games and behave yourself dont get pissed and act like fool you wont get banned this country is not ruled by a junta who can do what they like

Speak to people who has been on the receiving end of having an association ban then come back to me. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NOT BEHAVING YOURSELF!!!

Yes I do go away and never have problem with police or stewards anywhere I go to ground have pint but dont act in any provocative way and give anyone chance to nick me or ban me

Yes I do go away and never have problem with police or stewards anywhere I go to ground have pint but dont act in any provocative way and give anyone chance to nick me or ban me

"Yes, here he is your honour pictured here drinking before games, and again in these pictures here standing next to known football hooligans in the ground who are clearly intimidating opposition fans" (even though you don't even know them and in most cases have no control over whom your seated next to, especially at away games). Obviously I'm not referring to you (unless you do have previous) but these are the kind of things Junta refers too, if people do have some sort of previous. You don't have to be convicted of anything, they can still obtain a banning order, so for once I agree with him.

Yes I do go away and never have problem with police or stewards anywhere I go to ground have pint but dont act in any provocative way and give anyone chance to nick me or ban me

"Yes, here he is your honour pictured here drinking before games, and again in these pictures here standing next to known football hooligans in the ground who are clearly intimidating opposition fans" (even though you don't even know them and in most cases have no control over whom your seated next to, especially at away games). Obviously I'm not referring to you (unless you do have previous) but these are the kind of things Junta refers too, if people do have some sort of previous. You don't have to be convicted of anything, they can still obtain a banning order, so for once I agree with him.

Some people are very naïve when it comes to policing around football I tell you

You obviously don't realise just how minor evidence they need to try and get an association charge on you then.

It was a genuine question that didn't call for a sarcastic response.

So what u saying people who have had bans before wont be allowed to euros or people who are banned when the euros are on wont be allowed? Dont understand what u r saying in ur post?

Whats an association ban never heard of that does it even exist

basically if you have had a ban in the past then they try and build a case saying that you haven't rehabilitated since your original offence to try and get around the Rehabilitation of offenders Act 1974. By doing this all they need is to do a couple of photos of you standing near people who are known to them and portray that you are with them and up to something. As a previous comment said, you may not even know the people you are standing next to as it maybe in a pub, outside a pub or in the ground but try and put a case against you they will. Many people have received these kind of bans and with many of the home nations possibly going to qualify then I heard that the police are already putting this in place next season so that the bans can be in place for the Euros in June.

Annis, have you heard anything about this..?

basically if you have had a ban in the past then they try and build a case saying that you haven't rehabilitated since your original offence to try and get around the Rehabilitation of offenders Act 1974. By doing this all they need is to do a couple of photos of you standing near people who are known to them and portray that you are with them and up to something. As a previous comment said, you may not even know the people you are standing next to as it maybe in a pub, outside a pub or in the ground but try and put a case against you they will. Many people have received these kind of bans and with many of the home nations possibly going to qualify then I heard that the police are already putting this in place next season so that the bans can be in place for the Euros in June.

Annis, have you heard anything about this..?

Motto is - behave in the first place and you will never be banned ( like me after following Cardiff city for the last 47 years! ).

Adam is talking about section 14 b banning orders

Section 14 b article by Garreth Cummins

The following article is from the December 13 issue of the FSF magazine called “The football supporter” an excellent publication that al Football supporters Federation members can subscribe to monthly ( http://www.fsf.org.uk/shop/)

I still think its worth letting our fans know the full facts about the laws that could hit them...please don’t bother reading any further if this has no interest to you.

Garreth Cummins is a friend of both mine and Vince Alm and he works for the FSF...in this piece he explores a worrying piece of legislation that allows the police to ban fans without any proof of wrong-doing.

Here is his article.

I’m on the list, I can’t possibly know it for certain, but the fact remains that I’m on that list.
The authorities are monitoring me without my knowledge, watching my movements, noting my habits; they think I am a risk to society. There’s covert surveillance of me at weekends. The government spies are everywhere, sometimes they don’t even try to hide it. CCTV cameras are tracking my every move, they’re on to me. It’ll not be long ‘til they stop me going where I want and when I want, call me in for regular checks; they will take my passport off me, just because I ‘m on the list...

Far from being some Orwellian nightmare, the above is true of thousands, possibly tens of thousands of people in this country. And before you start to worry about my sanity and suggest I stop watch the “X files” re runs late into the night, I’m not talking about some great government conspiracy, there’s no need for me to reach for the tin foil hat or shove pencils up my nostrils( well not yet anyway).

You see. The police are tracking football supporters in ever increasing numbers. Countless numbers of fans are assessed by police forces as “risk” supporters, but what does that mean? It might sound ludicrous, but if the police assess you as a risk supporter, that very assessment can be used against you in a court as “evidence” towards a football banning order (FBO)

I say “evidence” in inverted commas, because, like the rest of us , you probably thought that FBO’s were reserved only for the hardcore hooligan element following football; those who commit serious acts of violence in and around stadia and are tried and convicted in front of a jury, the problem for fans now, however, is FBO’s are being dished out much more liberally, and in much more worrying circumstances.





The legal bit

There are two ways you can get a banning order.

a) Under section 14(a) with which most people are familiar this is a criminal sanction following a conviction, typically of a football related offence.

b) Under section 14 (b) a civil injunction following a complaint by the police.

A banning order under section 14 (b) is exactly the same as one under section 14 (a) in duration, terms and restriction of freedoms, but you don’t have to be convicted (in fact you don’t even need to be arrested) of any offence for the police to apply

So what is a risk supporter?

The national police definition is someone “ whether known or not, who can be regarded as posing a possible risk to public order or any anti social behaviour, whether planned or spontaneous, at or in connection with a football match.

Can the police decide this with little or no evidence?

Yes, someone the police think poses a risk is a risk

How do you become a risk supporter?

There are no hard and fast rules, but associating with risk supporters is likely to see you classed as one too.

So anyone who attends a game could become a risk supporter

Yes

So you could attend a game and be talking to a known risk supporter without either of us realising it?

That is correct.

Do people know they are risk supporters?

No, the police don’t inform people that they have been categorised as risk supporters.


The anatomy of the section 14 (b) banning order

So you probably still think that you’d have to do something fairly impressive for your local force to bring a case against you and threaten you with a banning order? You’d be wrong.

Suppose you head to your next away match, perhaps a local derby or cup game, to pick up a ticket from a mate at a pub a short distance from the ground

As it’s busy, a couple of police officers are there monitoring events, but it’s all good natured, and there is no hint of trouble

You are corralled into a larger group of your fans by the police near the away end; the police spotters are there with their camcorders looking out for trouble makers, but you largely ignore them as you make your way to the ground.

Walking in the throng towards the turnstiles the anticipation and atmosphere grows, and you exchange a few songs (and perhaps a few choice words) with groups of home supporters you pass.

All harmless, regular match day occurrences for many, you may think, unfortunately, each of these decisions could lead you on the road to a football banning order under section 14 (b) of the football supporters act of 1989, as amended by the football (disorder) Act 2000;


Police have used the fact that you have travelled to a game without a ticket as evidence that you are going to contribute to violence or disorder. Unknown to you, there were risk supporters in the pub you chose to stop at, or people on banning orders. The police have now identified you as associating with risk supporters

Your choice of pub indicates you are intent on contributing to disorder with home fans. Conversely if you’d chosen a pub further away that wasn’t a typical matchday pub, the police use this as evidence that disorder was planned away from the ground.

You have been videoed in the police escort. If you weren’t a risk supporter, why else would you require an escort? The fact you had no choice is irrelevant

Swearing and gesturing at opposition fans as been taken as a sign of aggression. The police use this behaviour as evidence that you intend to commit disorder

A worse case scenario of course, but each of these arguments has been used successfully by the police applying for FBO’s.
Section 14 (B) is a civil sanction, the standard of proof is only “in the balance of probabilities” rather than “beyond reasonable doubt”, as criminal cases require



Some will still argue that only fans that have previous offences can be caught up in this, that is untrue and anyone, regardless of who they are, can be a victim of section 14 B

Don't act like a f*cking asshole and you'll be fine, the vast majority of football fans who get banned rightly deserve to be.

Fantastic information Corky fair play

Corey's post puts the right slant on the subject as I said go to games and behave yourself and you will de fine I have had no problems and have supported home and away since 1956 at home and since 1985 away after retiring from ground root level of football

Corey's post puts the right slant on the subject as I said go to games and behave yourself and you will de fine I have had no problems and have supported home and away since 1956 at home and since 1985 away after retiring from ground root level of football

Read it again ffs!!!