Manchester City took part in Sunday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, but one of their fanatic fans has been handed a five-year ban under new laws.
The Calabo Cup final took place at Wembley on Sunday (Image: Getty Images)
He has become the first soccer fan to be accused of “reckless driving” during a Carabao Cup final. Benjamin Bailey, 27, was arrested at Wembley Stadium on Sunday for entering the stadium without a ticket.
Tailgating is when a person passes through a turnstile directly behind someone who has a valid ticket. The act became a criminal offense ahead of Sunday’s final between Manchester City and Arsenal.
Bailey, from Oldham, was arrested before kick-off and charged at 7.45pm on Sunday night. He is due to appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on May 1 and, if found guilty, could receive a five-year banning order and a £1,000 fine.
Two other men were arrested on similar charges and remain in police custody, while a further supporter was also arrested for tailgating at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the north London side lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest. They have been released on bail pending further investigation.
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read more: Josep Guardiola says Man City’s title rating is bleak despite winning the Carabao Cupread more: Mikel Arteta talks about Arsenal’s future after losing in the Carabao Cup final
The Metropolitan Police confirmed a total of 20 arrests had been made on Sunday, compared to 91 for the Carabao Cup final between Newcastle United and Liverpool, a 78 per cent drop on the previous year.
Detective Chief Inspector Pete Dearden, from the Metropolitan Transport Authority’s security force and Wembley match commander, said: “There is a great deal of strategic planning that goes into these operations. We expect high standards and all our officers demonstrated that today.”
“Significant changes have been implemented since last year and we will use today’s successful security operation as a blueprint for a busy summer at Wembley to ensure fans can safely enjoy future matches.”
Reckless driving is now treated as a crime (Image: Getty Images)
Tailgating has been declared a criminal offense following an investigation into the shocking scenes that unfolded at Wembley Stadium ahead of the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy. Hundreds of fans climbed over the fence and entered the stadium without tickets.
Approximately 2,000 people are believed to have entered Wembley without tickets on match day, and a subsequent investigation revealed 17 security gate breaches.
Baroness Louise Casey finds her life at risk due to new laws making reckless driving a criminal offence. There was previously no legal penalty for attending a match without a valid ticket.
Manchester City ultimately won the Carabao Cup final with defender Nico O’Reilly scoring twice for Josep Guardiola’s side in the second half.
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