A FOOTBALL fan is facing a five-year banning order and £1,000 fine after becoming the first supporter to be charged for ‘tailgating’.
Benjamin Bailey, 27, was arrested at the Carabao Cup final between Man City and Arsenal charged with entering Wembley Stadium without a ticket.
Tailgating is the act of walking through turnstiles closely behind those holding valid tickets and became a criminal offence ahead of the final – which was won by Man City thanks to two Nico O’Reilly goals.
Bailey, of Oldham, Manchester, was arrested ahead of the match and charged on Sunday evening at 7.45pm.
He is set to appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on May 1.
Two other men have been arrested on the same offence and remain in police custody.
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Met Police confirmed that 20 arrests were made on Sunday, compared to 91 at the 2025 Carabao Cup final, a reduction of 78 per cent.
Arrests include seven for affray, one for assault of an emergency service worker, and one for racially aggravated assault.
A man was also arrested on suspicion of tailgating on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs were beaten in a crucial relegation battle by Nottingham Forest.
He had been bailed pending further investigation.
Chief Inspector Pete Dearden, from the Met’s public order unit and match commander at Wembley, said: “So much strategic planning goes into these operations.
“We expect high standards and every officer delivered that today.
“Huge changes have been implemented since last year, and we will now use the success of the policing operation today as a blueprint throughout the busy summer at Wembley so fans can safely enjoy upcoming fixtures.”
Legislation was put into place following shameful scenes at the Euro 2020 final when hundreds of fans rushed barriers and made their way into Wembley Stadium without tickets.
A review by Baroness Louise Casey found that lives had been put at risk, with new law making tailgating a criminal offence.
There was no previous legal penalty for attending a match without a ticket.
At the Euro 2020 final – where Italy beat England on penalties on July 11, 2021 – Baroness Casey found more than 20 “near misses” that could have resulted in serious injury or death.
Around 2,000 people are said to have gained entry to Wembley without tickets, with 17 breaches of security gates found.
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