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Sports grounds
The Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 requires designated sports grounds to hold a safety certificate, issued by the local authority, before they admit spectators. It matters for insurance because the certificate sets capacity, stewarding and management conditions, and a breach can sit behind a spectator injury claim, a closed stand or a prosecution of the people running the ground.
Part of: Stadium and sports ground insurance
In short
Section 1 of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 lets the Secretary of State designate grounds with accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators; the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) says the figure is 5,000 for Premier League and Football League grounds in England and Wales. A designated ground needs a general safety certificate from the local authority. Separately, the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 requires a certificate for any stand at a non-designated ground with covered accommodation for 500 or more. Admitting spectators without a certificate, or in breach of it, is an offence. Public liability, employers’ liability, property, event cancellation and D&O cover all sit around this regime.
Last reviewed 7 October 2026 by the Apex commercial team.
The Act works in three steps: the ground is designated, a certificate is issued, and the certificate’s terms become the legal standard the ground is run to. It applies in England, Wales and Scotland.
| Provision | What it does |
|---|---|
| Section 1 | The Secretary of State may designate, by order, a sports ground with accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators. The 1987 Act allows different thresholds for different classes of ground. |
| Section 2 | The certificate contains the terms and conditions the local authority considers necessary or expedient to secure reasonable safety. A general certificate has a plan of the ground attached and can require records of attendance and of safety maintenance. |
| Section 3 | The local authority decides whether the applicant is a “qualified person” and, if so, issues the certificate to that person. |
| Section 10 | If the local authority thinks admitting spectators involves a risk so serious that it should be stopped or limited, it can serve a prohibition notice banning or capping admission to the ground or part of it until the problem is fixed. |
| Section 12 | Admitting spectators without a certificate, outside its scope or in breach of its terms is an offence by any “responsible person” and by the certificate holder. On indictment the maximum is two years’ imprisonment, a fine or both. |
There are two kinds of certificate. A general safety certificate covers the activities it names for an indefinite period. A special safety certificate covers a specific occasion or series of occasions, such as a one-off concert at a football ground.
A “responsible person” under section 12 is anyone concerned in managing the ground or organising an activity there. That reaches beyond the club company to individual officers and event organisers. The defence requires the accused to show both that the breach happened without their consent and that they took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid it.
A ground does not need to be designated to fall under the regime. Part III of the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 covers grounds that are not designated but have covered stands. Under section 26, a stand giving covered accommodation for 500 or more spectators is a “regulated stand” and needs its own safety certificate from the local authority. Smaller clubs that build a new covered stand can be caught by this.
The Sports Grounds Safety Authority was set up in 2011 to replace the Football Licensing Authority, which the Sports Grounds Safety Authority Act 2011 renamed. The SGSA describes its job as licensing Premier League, EFL and international football grounds and overseeing local authorities’ safety certification. The licence comes from section 10 of the Football Spectators Act 1989, which covers admitting spectators to designated football matches in England and Wales.
The Green Guide, formally the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, is published by the SGSA. The sixth edition came out in 2018, and the SGSA expects the next edition in 2028/29. It is guidance, not statute. It covers capacity calculation, safety management and stewarding, and SGSA guidance SG03 adds detail on event safety management.
Many areas run a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) of the council, police, fire and ambulance services and the ground. The SGSA is clear that a SAG is not a decision-making body. The local authority remains the certifying body.
The examples below are illustrative, not real cases, but they show how the certificate drives risk and insurance.
No single policy covers a sports ground. The certificate sits in the middle of several covers, and each has its own gaps. The table shows what is usually engaged, subject to the policy terms.
| What happens | Cover usually engaged | Where the gaps often are |
|---|---|---|
| A spectator is hurt in a crush, a fall or a structural failure | Public liability | Limits set too low for a crowd event; conditions requiring compliance with statutory and certificate requirements; contractual liabilities taken on in hire agreements |
| A steward or groundsman is injured | Employers’ liability | Whether volunteers are treated as employees under the wording; contracted stewards should carry their own employers’ and public liability |
| Fire or storm damages a stand | Property damage and business interruption | Sums insured not reflecting rebuild cost; indemnity periods too short for a stand rebuild; closures without physical damage |
| A fixture or event is cancelled or abandoned | Event cancellation or abandonment | Cancellation caused by a certificate breach or known defect is commonly excluded |
| Directors or committee members are investigated or prosecuted | D&O or management liability | Defence costs often covered; fines and penalties commonly excluded; prior knowledge exclusions |
| A terrorist attack | Terrorism cover, bought separately | Standard property and liability policies often exclude terrorism unless added |
Under section 1 of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, an employer carrying on business in Great Britain must insure against injury to its employees. The Act defines “business” to include activity carried on by an unincorporated body, so a members’ club that employs staff is caught.
If this affects your business, these are the points a broker will ask about:
Speak to a broker
Sports ground cover, placed by a named broker
Send us your current schedule, or tell us about the property if you are arranging cover for the first time. Or leave your number and a named broker will call you back, usually the same working day.
Apex Insurance Brokers is an independent insurance broker based in Bristol, established in 2009 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are not tied to one insurer: we work with over 30 markets, including Lloyd’s syndicates through wholesale brokers, and every client has a named broker who handles the placement, mid-term changes, certificates for clients and the renewal.
Grounds designated under section 1 of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, normally those with accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators (the SGSA says 5,000 for Premier League and Football League grounds in England and Wales). Separately, a stand at a non-designated ground with covered accommodation for 500 or more needs a certificate under the 1987 Act.
The local authority for the area. Under section 3 of the 1975 Act it decides whether the applicant is a qualified person and issues the certificate to them. The Sports Grounds Safety Authority oversees how local authorities do this, and a Safety Advisory Group may advise, but it is not a decision-making body.
No. The Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, now in its sixth edition (2018), is guidance published by the SGSA. The legal duties come from the 1975 and 1987 Acts and the terms of your certificate, but the Green Guide is the main reference on capacity, safety management and stewarding.
Admitting spectators in breach is an offence under section 12 for the certificate holder and anyone concerned in managing the ground or organising the activity. On indictment the maximum is two years’ imprisonment, a fine or both. The local authority can also serve a prohibition notice under section 10 to stop or limit admission.
Often, for an injured spectator’s claim, but it depends on the policy terms. Some wordings carry conditions about complying with statutory requirements, and an insurer may dispute a claim if a breach contributed to the loss. Fines are commonly excluded. Tell your insurer about certificate changes and notices when they happen.
Apex arranges liability, property, event and D&O cover for sports grounds and clubs across the UK. Send us your certificate details and current schedule and we’ll review the programme. Or call 0117 325 0027.
Start your quote Call 0117 325 0027Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information, not advice on your individual circumstances. Cover is always subject to the insurer’s acceptance and the policy terms, and this page does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.
