By Samindra Kunti
December 6 – The lawlessness around the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy at London’s Wembley Stadium could have cost lives, an independent FA review has found. The review recommends the government should consider a new category for football matches of national significance which would give police and organisers extra powers to make the match day safe.
On July 11, Wembley Way was transformed into a huge open-air party, but a combination of all-day boozing, drugs and thugs with bad intentions, turned what should have been a celebration of football into utter chaos, reminiscent of English football’s darkest days, as ticketless supporters stormed the stadium.
The review, led by Baroness Louise Casey, described the euphoria around England reaching their first major tournament finals since 1966 and the pandemic as a combination that created a “perfect storm”.
Approximately 2,000 ticketless fans gained entry to the stadium, of which around 400 were ejected, according to the review. There were 17 mass breaches of security and a systematic targeting of disabled entrances as a means of access.
The review found “collective failure” by organisers in the preparation for a match of this stature.
“We are genuinely lucky that there was not much more serious injury or worse, and need to take the toughest possible action against people who think a football match is somehow an excuse to behave like that,” said Casey.
“I am clear that the primary responsibility for what went wrong at Wembley that day lies with those who lost control of their own behaviour that day, not with anyone who did their best but lost control of the crowd,” said Casey. “Nevertheless there are always lessons to be learned. No one was fully prepared for what happened that day and it can’t be allowed to happen again.”
The review highlighted that “ticketless fans targeted disabled supporters in a predatory fashion near the turnstiles.” One fan hijacked a “disabled child and separated him from his father, in order to trick his way through”.
Some fans were trampled but escaped. Casey criticises both the police for arriving at Wembley at only 3pm and the government, who first denied requests for extra fan zones to defuse the crowds.
The FA’s chief executive Mark Bullingham apologised for the “terrible experience” many fans endured.
“We fully accept its findings and there are important learnings for us, as well as other agencies involved,” said Bullingham. “The lessons learned from this review will ensure that fans have a good experience at major international events at Wembley, as they have for many years.”
Casey recommends that the government consider a new category for football matches of national significance that would demand increased security levels, give police added powers and require authorities to boost commitments to making the event safe for the general public.
Wembley will host the Women’s Euro 2022 final and the 2024 Champions League final.
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