Commentary on Sections Part 2: Public Order Etc. Enforcement of order in relation to foreign matches Section 61 – Foreign matches: reporting and other requirements
102.This section sets out the role and functions of the football banning orders authority and, in following the football banning orders authority’s direction, certain constables, in relation to matches played outwith the United Kingdom. Specifically, it requires the football banning orders authority to issue notices to those persons subject to banning orders. These notices require the person to report to a police station and surrender their passport if they have one, or declare that they do not have one, if they do not. The football banning orders authority must issue such a notice when it is of the opinion that requiring the person to report is likely to reduce the risk of violence or disorder at or in connection with the overseas match.
103.Subsection (6) enables the football banning orders authority to establish criteria for determining whether to impose a notice requiring a person to report and surrender their passport. The criteria may be used for determining whether notices should be imposed in individual cases or on particular groups of people. For example, it might be reasonable to establish criteria that all supporters of a particular team subject to banning orders should be required to report and surrender their passport when that team is playing abroad, especially if there has been recent trouble aboard involving supporters of that team.