ENGLAND fans face a World Cup travel ban over anti-social behaviour at matches, the Home Secretary last night warned.
Supporters risk surrendering their passports for the duration of the Qatar tournament if they attack or abuse players and fans.
Priti Patel, speaking exclusively to The Sun on a visit this week to Premier League side Brentford, is determined not to let the small minority ruin matches for true fans.
The Home Secretary said: “There is the very real threat to football hooligans of their passports being taken away from them for six weeks.
“Their liberty and freedoms are going to be restricted and they won’t be going to Qatar if they receive a Football Banning Order.
“So if they behave badly and stop law-abiding fans enjoying the game at one of their team’s home matches, it’s going to stop them from travelling internationally.”
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The courts can hand out Football Banning Orders if supporters attack or abuse other fans, staff or players as well as any related online hate crime.
The measures can be customised to prevent a supporter’s offending behaviour by hitting them with travel constraints particularly on match days and during overseas tournaments.
The football authorities, including the FA, Premier League and EFL, also now report all offenders at games to the police which can affect their employment and education record.
Measures also include increased use of sniffer dogs at games.
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Anyone entering the pitch without permission or carrying smoke bombs or pyrotechnics will now receive an automatic club ban, which can also be extended to family members of those carrying out the act.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters last night said: “Everyone should feel safe and able to enjoy a football match.
“In coming together with clubs and partners across football, we are making clear the type of incidents we saw last season must stop.
“If we don’t take collective and sustained action, it may only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured, or worse.”
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Using Class A drugs in and around matches is set to be added to the list of offences in October once it has been debated by MPs and Peers.
There have been 1,400 troublemakers already targeted by Football Banning Orders that last between three and six years.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
