Sports

The new law targets a range of illegal entry methods, including “tailgating,” where individuals follow closely behind legitimate ticket holders to slip through turnstiles.

It also makes it an offence to use forged tickets, fake accreditation, or to pose as a member of staff in order to gain access.

As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, the English FA said, “Anyone found guilty could face a fine of up to £1,000 in addition to a football banning order preventing them from attending matches for up to five years.”

The legislation follows the disorder that marred the UEFA Euro 2020 Final, when thousands of ticketless fans forced their way into the stadium.

A review led by Louise Casey found that around 2,000 people entered illegally, with multiple breaches of disabled access gates and emergency exits, warning the situation could have resulted in serious injuries or fatalities.

Policing minister Sarah Jones said the new measures are aimed at preventing a repeat of those scenes.

“Football fans should be able to enjoy the game without feeling unsafe or threatened,” she said. “We’re giving the police the tools they need to ensure the chaos we saw at Wembley never happens again.

“Anyone who endangers others by forcing their way into stadiums faces serious consequences.”

Previously, there was no specific offence for entering a match without a ticket. Those caught were typically ejected, while police often had to rely on fraud-related charges, which were difficult to prove.

Authorities say the new legislation will make enforcement more straightforward and act as a strong deterrent, particularly at high-profile fixtures.

The changes are also part of wider efforts to improve stadium safety ahead of Euro 2028, which will be co-hosted by the UK and Ireland

Davies, who has covered boxing for over 30 years, told talkSPORT that the bout is already in place behind the scenes, with the big-money infrastructure that has backed Fury’s recent career moves understood to be involved.

“The Fury-Joshua fight is signed. Okay, it is signed in the background. I’ve got that on good authority,” Davies said.

Asked who the fight is signed with, he replied, “It’s with the big money people. It’ll be on Netflix.”

Davies added that while both men are moving towards the fight, it is not imminent. Joshua is expected to return to the ring in June or July, with the Fury bout targeted for late 2026 or early 2027.

“Agreed. They are moving towards it, but they both want the fight. It’s on the cards, and it’s going to happen,” he said.

The announcement comes as Joshua edges closer to a return to training camp following the horror road crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on December 29 that claimed the lives of his friends, personal trainer Kevin Ayodele and recovery therapist Sina Ghami, just 10 days after he stopped Jake Paul in six rounds in Miami.

Promoter Eddie Hearn told iFL TV that the British-Nigerian has returned to Finchley, his first amateur gym, and that a full return to training camp is imminent.

“We are very close to returning to training camp, and I feel like AJ is physically and perhaps mentally ready to throw himself back into that environment. It is exciting. For everything that he has been through and all the pain, I do not think that will leave. But he has a career and a job to do, which he wants to continue doing. And I am excited to see him back,” Hearn said.

Hearn, who expects Joshua’s comeback fight to land in July, also spoke about how the structure of camp life suits the British-Nigerian fighter.

“I feel like fighters are at their happiest when they are in training camp. The regiment is there, the discipline is there, the focus is there. And although it is a lot of hard work, I really feel like AJ — when he is in training camp — that is him,” he said.

Fury, meanwhile, returns to action on April 11 against Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham’s stadium before turning his attention to Joshua. Hearn expects Joshua to have a tune-up fight before the Fury clash, though he did not rule out a more direct route depending on how the 36-year-old feels once back in camp.

“There have been discussions about going straight into a Fury fight. I expect him to have a fight first, and that fight to come in the summer. But until he gets back into training camp, there will be no decisions on the actual route that we take,” Hearn added.

A potential warm-up opponent has also emerged, with Boxing King Media reporting that Joshua could renew his rivalry with Dillian Whyte, whom he stopped in their 2015 professional meeting. Whyte has not fought since suffering a first-round defeat to Moses Itauma last August.