Entering football matches without tickets will become a criminal offence in England and Wales under new legislation coming into force before the Carabao Cup final. The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act introduces penalties of up to five years for football banning orders and fines of up to £1,000 for offenders.

The law targets 'tailgating' - where supporters without tickets follow legitimate fans through turnstiles - and the use of forged tickets or passes. Until now, supporters caught entering without tickets faced only ejection from stadiums without further punishment.

The legislation follows the chaos at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, where a FA-commissioned report found about 2,000 people entered illegally through 17 mass breaches of disabled access gates and emergency fire doors. Policing minister Sarah Jones said the new powers will prevent a repeat of the disorder that could have led to deaths.