This issue is so serious that the FSF have teamed up with Liberty to fight for the rights of football supporters - Watching football is not a crime!
We intend taking this to the very top and are delighted to announce that Liberty's solicitors will be working with us to take the cases of some supporters to judicial review. We are determined to challenge the police's use of this law and ensure it is not used in the future.
We are also launching an appeal for campaign funds. It is absolutely vital that fans stick together and challenge the use of Section 27. We're asking all football supporters to donate the price of a pint - £2.70 - in order to support our legal challenge. This case could be huge, so we're aiming to raise £27,000 to take on the ridiculous use of Section 27. More on campaign funding below.
Some of the most shocking cases we've received so far come from Stoke City and Plymouth Argyle fans although these are not isolated cases. We're also investigating reports that Section 27 has been served on supporters of Colchester, Gillingham, Manchester United and Southend. If you have been unjustly served with a Section 27 order download this form and send it to section27@fsf.org.uk
 | So what is Section 27?Section 27 legislation allows police to move someone from a specified area for a period of up to 48 hours. No offence needs to have been committed for the act to be enforced: the legislation gives police the power to move on people who they say pose a risk of alcohol-related disorder. This is meant to be a specified locality but in the instances we've heard of police have moved people across the entire country under threat of arrest if they don't comply. No hard evidence appears to be required, and no crime needs to have been committed. The legislation was clearly designed to allow the moving on of small numbers of individuals who have been misbehaving under the influence of alcohol - for example, clearing areas outside of nightclubs at closing time. It was not designed to enable, in effect, football banning order to be imposed by the police on an entire pub. |
 | How can I help challenge Section 27?We're absolutely delighted that Liberty have recognised that the use of Section 27 is totally inappropriate and breaches the basic civil liberties of football fans. With them, we plan to take this issue to court and set a precedent - Section 27 was never designed to police football fans, and it never should be. To do this we need to raise funds, legal proceedings can be very expensive. We cannot know in advance how this case will develop, how long it will take or the total possible costs at the end of it. Remember, we are fighting for the rights of all football fans. If police get away with this on the few, it's only a matter of time before they apply it to the many. We're aiming to raise £27,000 to challenge Section 27. You can donate securely online by clicking here or send a cheque payable to the Football Supporters' Federation, Fans' Stadium, Kingsmeadow, Jack Goodchild Way, 422A Kingston Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 3PB. The suggested donation is £2.70, the price of a pint, although we obviously welcome larger donations. We also ask that everyone who receives this email send it on to five people. The more people who hear about this, the more evidence we build up of Section 27's unfair use. All money raised in this campaign will be spent solely on the campaign while it runs. If we are successful in overturning the use of Section 27, any surplus will be used for future legal challenges, on behalf of football fans. |
 | What can I do if a Section 27 is served on me?At present there's very little you can do - which is why it is absolutely vital that this campaign succeeds. If you refuse to abide by the conditions of a Section 27, police can then arrest you. Unlucky enough to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time? You're missing the match, getting taken home, and will receive no compensation of any sort. But you hadn't committed any criminal offence, and haven't even had a pint? If the police choose to enforce Section 27, tough. While this sounds daunting, and we're by no means legal eagles here at the FSF, we have been working hard to produce a Section 27 fact sheet, download it here. It's a straightforward guide to the legislation and we'd encourage all fans to print it off and take it with them to the match. While we're not suggesting this will guarantee police stop using Section 27 at all, we certainly can't see any harm in whipping out a copy of this, should you be unlucky enough to find yourself served with it. |
 | Section 27 has been served on me!In that case, we want to hear from you. If you've had a Section 27 served on you and had given police no reason to think you would be involved in alcohol related disorder, fill in our online form and email it to us. We will treat your information in the strictest confidence, and will not pass anything on to the police. Please read the form for more details. You can also take the following steps, make sure your voice is heard:
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