Sports Grounds Safety Authority

We are the UK Government’s expert body on safety at sports grounds and an Arms Length Body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. We write guidance including the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (the “Green Guide”) and carry out a range of statutory functions in relation to football in England and Wales and advisory functions in relation to other sports both within the UK and internationally. Our purpose is to ensure all spectators can enjoy watching sport in safety. We do this by sharing knowledge, advice and guidance on safety design and management and by working in partnership to educate and influence. Our core statutory functions are set out in the Football Spectators Act 1989 and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority Act 2011. We have an important statutory responsibility to regulate local authorities in their oversight of safety at the 92 football clubs in the Premier League and the Football League, and at Wembley and the Principality Stadium. We also issue licences to those 94 stadia to allow them to admit spectators and to enforce the Government’s all-seater policy. Since 2011 our expanded remit allows us to share our expertise and support not only with football in England and Wales, but with other sports and across the world. We aim to share our expertise as widely as we can, whilst remaining focused on our purpose and keeping our statutory role front and centre.