Two men banned from football matches in first tailgating convictions

Two men have been banned from attending football matches for three years as punishment for tailgating at the 2026 Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

Tailgating - when someone walks closely behind a ticket holder to gain access to a football game - was made a criminal offence under new legislation which prohibits anyone from entering a match in England and Wales without a ticket.

Kamal McEwan, from London, and Alex Clark, from Waltham Cross, are now the first to be convicted of the offence in England.

The law came into force last month ahead of the match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley, which City won 2-0.

It was prompted by serious disorder at the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy at Wembley in July 2021.

Any attempt to enter a stadium without a ticket is punishable by a fine and a football banning order, which prevents people from attending all matches across the football league, including internationals and European club competitions.

McEwan was issued a three-year football banning order at Willesden Magistrates' Court on 10 April and fined £471 for unauthorised entry.

While Clark received a three-year football banning order and was ordered to pay £1,862 for unauthorised entry and possession of a class A drug.

A third man is due to appear in court on 1 May.

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"The swift arrest and convictions of these individuals at the Carabao Cup Final demonstrate this new legislation is already having a real and immediate impact," Wembley Stadium director Mark Lynch said.

"Previously, there were no specific criminal penalties for those trying to enter the stadium without a ticket, placing significant pressure on our crowd safety teams.

"This new legislation now closes that gap and ensures offenders are dealt with appropriately. These cases send a clear message that any attempt to gain unauthorised access to football matches will not be tolerated and will result in firm action including large fines and lengthy football banning orders."

Chief Inspector Pete Dearden, from the Metropolitan Police, said: "Our officers acted quickly and decisively at the Carabao Cup Final, and these convictions demonstrate that antisocial, dangerous and criminal behaviour at football matches will be met with firm enforcement action.

"We will continue to work closely with sport venues, the FA and other partners to ensure football matches remain safe environments for fans, families and staff, and to prevent the minority who seek to cause harm or disruption from doing so."

(c) Sky News 2026: Two men banned from football matches in first tailgating convictions