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Football Banning Orders

You can get a Football Banning Order (FBO) if you cause trouble at matches at home or abroad.

There are 2 ways you can be given an FBO:

  • the police can apply to a sheriff court
  • if you're convicted of a football-related offence, a court can give you an FBO instead of – or in addition to – a sentence for the offence

An FBO can only be issued if the offence involved violence and/or disorder.

A football-related offence is a criminal offence that:

  • is connected to a football match
  • is committed in any location, including travelling to and from a football match
  • happens within a period relevant to a football match

How long FBOs last for

FBOs can last up to 10 years. The length of the ban should reflect the seriousness of the offence.

What getting an FBO means

Getting an FBO means you'll be banned from every football ground in the UK.

You'll also be banned from the national team's matches, even ones played abroad.

You may also have to hand your passport into a police station when your team plays abroad. You'll have to report at a police station on the day the game is played.

Specific conditions can be imposed on a case by case basis but must be relevant to the original offence.

You can be banned from using public transport on match days, and from going to other public places, like:

  • town and city centres
  • railway stations
  • pubs and bars that are popular with fans

Your ban from these places will only be during specific periods before and after matches.

What happens if you break the terms of your FBO

Breaking or 'breaching' your FBO means you can be fined and sent to prison for up to 6 months.

If you don't agree with the FBO

If you don't agree with your FBO you can get legal advice.

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