The purpose of the guide is to provide a standardised understanding of the responsibilities of all parties involved in the process of sports ground safety and security licencing and certification.

The guide has been developed with the support of the UK Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) and published by INTERPOL Project Stadia, which set out to draw on expertise from across the globe to contribute to the planning and execution of policing and security arrangements for major events.

Rick Riding, Inspector at SGSA, said: “I am proud to have been the principal author of this excellent guide to international stadium safety certification.”

Mr Riding added that although the guide is based on the UK system, it is “applicable to any country that wants to adopt a system for approving and monitoring the safe environment of their stadiums for the enjoyment of all spectator.”

The guide focuses primarily on four headings, namely, integrated approach, licensing and certification, safe capacities, and Safety Management, to provide the foundation for an understanding of the safety management arrangements from which safety certification can be developed and monitored.

The need for an integrated approach

The aim of the guide is to provide a proper set up to prevent events such as the crowd disorder at the Euro 2020 finals at Wembley Stadium, where 2,000 ticketless fans gained entry to Wembley for the final between England and Italy, and 17 mass breaches were detected at disabled access gates and emergency fire doors.

At the time, an independent review was conducted on the crowd disorder by Lady Louis Casey who stated in the report: “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.

“Nevertheless there are always lessons to be learned and it is right and commendable that the FA have commissioned this thorough review and have fully engaged with it, along with key partners including the Police and local council.”

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham responded to the review by saying: “Collectively we must never allow this to happen again.

“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.”

Just as Bullingham emphasizes the importance of collective action in preventing these kinds of events, the guide similarly points out the need for an integrated approach. According to the guide, integrated approach requires support and advice from a range of key partners which may include; emergency services, sports ground safety management team, event organisers, transport providers, spectator representatives, infrastructure and local amenity representatives, relevant regulatory bodies, and sports governing bodies.

Licensing and certification

The guide further analyses licensing process, which, according to the guide, should be aimed strategically at ensuring:

“National standards and government policies are implemented, complied with, monitored and enforced.

“The recommendations and guidance produced by the national sports ground committee or independent licensing body can be acted upon in a timely and consistent manner,

“Additional oversight by way of monitoring and inspection of the certifying authorities,

“Continual review of the framework in which the safety certification process operates and nationally focussed analysis of emerging threats,

“The highest risk sports grounds are subject to a higher level of expert oversight and support.”

In terms of safety certification, the guide points out the importance of establishing a designated (independent) national body to provide a source of expertise on stadia safety matters and to issue sports ground licenses.

Safe capacities

Safe capacity is another important consideration according to the guide, which says: “The most important consideration for spectator safety at sports grounds is the setting of the maximum number of spectators that may be safely accommodated (safe capacity).

“Many of the disasters and near misses in history have resulted from overcrowding or an ignorance of behalf of the sports ground managers of how many people may be safely accommodated.”

According to the guide, the capacity calculations should take account of a number of factors such as rates of entry and exit, number of usable seats, holding capacity for standing areas, and the number of spectators who can reach a place of safety in eight minutes (or sooner in areas assessed as having a high or medium fire risk) during an emergency evacuation.

Safe capacity calculation requires a number of steps, according to the guide, which consist of identifying all separate areas and calculating the entry capacity, holding capacity, exit capacity, and emergency exit capacity, and taking the lowest figure identified in the previous step.

Safety Management

When it comes to safety management, the guide emphasizes the importance of collaboration between the key partners, and it recommends that the management of every spectator facility and/or the event organiser shall produce a written Spectator Safety Policy.  

According to the guide, the key safety management plans and procedures should be addressed in the Operations Manual, which should have a high level of detail.

External factors (Zone Ex) should also be taken into account, which include routes linking the venue with transport hubs, car parking areas and local amenities, which would differ in extent and character in every location.

The guide says: “It is vital that planning for the movement of people through Zone Ex involves the input of all relevant agencies and stakeholders.

“These may include, but not limited to: the local authority, the police, the local highways authority, the land owner(s), local and regional transport operators, local car park operators, agencies supplying staff and/or stewards deployed in Zone Ex, local disability access officers, local residents and community groups, local pubs, bars and restaurants, and local shops and businesses.”

The guide further analyses the role of safety and security personnel, emphasizing the requirement of not only training, but also experience: “However, training alone is not enough. Another essential ingredient is experience.

“It should never be assumed that stewards who have undertaken some training are necessarily competent. A record may be kept of their progress.”

Another important element of the security plan is the event day counter terrorism plan, the guide states: “These stadium operator counter terrorism plans should not be confused with any plans the emergency services may draw up and are specifically developed to help the operator understand the need for training staff in vulnerabilities of the sports ground and protocols and procedures for dealing with an attack.”

The guide further records: “It is vitally important that these plans are confidential as it may highlight vulnerabilities present.”

The guide says: “Before a bespoke counter terrorism plan is developed, sports ground management should always seek support from their police and security services who should be able to provide the necessary: threat levels, and information on attack methodologies and mitigating measures; best practice guidance for the sport sector; and tailored advice on prevention, deterrent, and response tactics.”

What is Project Stadia?

Major international sporting events such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup tournaments present many policing and security challenges for the host countries.

As well as taking place in large, complex and dispersed locations, major sporting events can attract a range of criminal activities, from disorder and violence to cyberattacks and even terrorism.

Funded by Qatar, Project Stadia helps INTERPOL member countries to plan and implement security preparations to provide a smooth-running and successful event, while keeping participants and spectators safe and secure.

Project Stadia was set up to contribute to policing and security arrangements for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar.

Over the past 10 years, Project Stadia has run international expert groups, delivered certified training, and created a global knowledge-sharing programme to help all INTERPOL member countries build their capacity during the full planning lifecycle of a major event.

With continued support from Qatar, the project has been extended for a further two years to bring its expertise to the preparations for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

This will build a lasting legacy of learning, and will support future host countries across the world in creating the environment for safe and secure major events.

(Source: Interpol)

(Image: UEFA Euro 2020 Final, Wembley Stadium)

(Image Attribution: Quirinale.it, via Wikimedia Commons)