Attending an EFL match imposes restrictions on what you can and cannot do while inside, so here’s a comprehensive list of the reasons why you may be evicted from a football stadium in England.

The great majority of people who attend matches do so without getting into trouble.

The number of arrests and ejections is minimal in comparison to the many thousands who attend every weekend, yet there are still a few who get into trouble with either the law or the clubs themselves.

While it’s not something fans frequently contemplate, there is a startling long number of reasons why supporters can be evicted from matches, and you don’t even have to break the law to be kicked out and perhaps barred from returning for an extended amount of time. Football fields are private property, therefore fans are governed not just by general regulations, but also by EFL and FA guidelines, as well as club-specific admission criteria.

So, with all of this in mind, and keeping in mind that the terms and conditions used by clubs may differ slightly from one another, here’s a comprehensive list of reasons why fans may be removed from matches.

Committing a criminal offense

The law applies to everyone, regardless of where we are, and there will usually be police present at matches. The following factors may lead to ejection from a stadium:

Violence or danger of violence.
Assault, including spitting.
Racially or religiously motivated abuse
Homophobic, sexist, or discriminating chanting
Hate Speech
Public order violations
The possession or use of drugs
Possession of weapons or fireworks
Pitch invasion
Throwing Objects
Damage to Property
Alcohol-related offenses
It should go without saying that engaging in criminal activities will result in being booted out of the ground if caught. You may be evicted from a match for any of these reasons, which may result in arrest, a fine, a prison sentence (in exceptional situations), or a football ban.

Football-related criminal crimes

The Football crimes Act 1991 covers a specific set of crimes. These pose the same hazards as the criminal offenses outlined above. This includes:

Entering the pitch without permission.
Throwing missiles
Inappropriate or racist chanting
Use of flares, smoke bombs, or fireworks.
Getting onto the pitch during play.
The Football Offences Act of 1991 was enacted in reaction to rapidly escalating behavior at matches during the 1970s and 1980s. By the early 1980s, this was having a noticeable impact on attendance figures, which reached a nadir in the 1985-86 season, when, following the Bradford City stadium fire and the Heysel Stadium disaster, only ten clubs in the First Division could average more than 20,000 for their home matches.

At this moment, the subject of safety rose to the top of the conversation, prompting extreme recommendations about how to address it. At Chelsea, owner Ken Bates built a twelve-foot-high electrified fence around the pitch at Stamford Bridge to try to deter pitch invasions, but it was never utilized since the local municipality prohibited him from turning it on for legitimate health and safety reasons. At Luton Town, chairman David Evans imposed a blanket ban on away fans, which lasted four years despite great outcry.

Crowds eventually began to recover, and by 2022-23, they had hit a 70-year high throughout the season, with a total of 19.8 million people attending EFL matches alone.

Breach of ground rules

In addition to criminal offenses, fans may be removed for a range of non-criminal actions. These may include:

Consistent swearing or harsh language
Offensive gestures.
Being intoxicated or unruly (alcohol is forbidden in sight of the pitch, a law that applies to all EFL clubs, however alcohol may normally be purchased inside grounds)
Constantly standing in seating situations.
Smoking or vaping?
Blocking gangways and exits
Refusing legitimate instruction from stewards
Using banners or flags considered insulting or hazardous.
Filming where forbidden.
Bringing forbidden items.
Wearing face covers to disguise identification.
Using Laser Pens
Disruptive behaviour
This final portion is the most ambiguous of the three, but when purchasing a match ticket or a season ticket, you must check a box stating that you agree to the terms and conditions of purchase. Football grounds are private property, hence no criminal offense was required.

Most clubs take a “common sense” approach to this type of activity. After all, they don’t want to turn away prospective paying clients. However, it is still “their house, their rules,” and they have complete authority to remove anyone they believe poses a risk. Of course, the simplest way to avoid getting expelled from a stadium is to behave properly, as many thousands – the vast majority – do every weekend.