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Department for Culture Media and Sport

stadium safety and the football licensing authority

Part of this responsibility includes designating sports grounds with a capacity of over 10,000 (5,000 for football) under the 1975 Act. Designated sports grounds require a safety certificate from the local authority.

Every sports stadium which is not designated but contains a stand with a capacity of over 500 requires a safety certificate under the 1987 Act from the local authority.

What does the Football Licensing Authority (FLA) do?
The FLA is the leading UK authority on ground safety. Established in 1991 under the Football Spectators Act 1989 they have implemented some of the key recommendations in the Final Report on the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster of 1989, including overseeing the licensing of all grounds in the Premier League and the Championship.

In 1992 the Government decided to allow clubs in the Football League Second and Third Divisions (now League One and Two) to retain some standing accommodation, provided that this satisfied certain criteria.  The FLA enforces this through their licensing system.

They FLA are also commissioned by the DCMS to produce the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (also known as the 'green guide'), which is aimed at local authorities and sports grounds management. The purpose of the guide is to provide guidance for spectator safety at sports grounds including for non sporting events. It also covers management, design, scrutiny and certification of sports grounds.

A summary of new guidance from the latest (fifth) edition, published in June 2008 is also available which highlights some of the key areas that updates the previous edition.

DCMS is also responsible for coordinating the Government’s response to non-terrorist disasters affecting spectators at events held at outdoor sports grounds in England.

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