First person charged with tailgating after EFL Cup final

A 27-year-old man has become the first person in the country to be charged with ‘tailgating’ – entering a football match without a ticket – after the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

The new law came into effect on Sunday, hours before Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the final.

The Met Police said Benjamin Bailey, 27, of Fifth Avenue in Oldham, Manchester, will appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 1 May in connection with the alleged offence.

Also on Sunday, a man was arrested on suspicion of tailgating at Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He has been bailed pending further investigation.

Those convicted of tailgating face a football banning order of up to five years, as well as a fine of up to £1,000.

The legislation has been introduced as a result of the serious disorder that marred the European Championship final between England and Italy at Wembley in July 2021, when thousands of fans forced their way into the stadium.