A Beautiful Law for the Beautiful Game? Revisiting the Football Offences Act 1991

This article revisits the operation of Football (Offences) Act (FOA) 1991 30 years after its enactment. FOA was introduced following recommendations Taylor Report 1990 as part a raft measures looking to balance spectator safety against threat football crowd disorder. Providing targeted and largely uncontroversial restrictions on spectators, seemingly popular with police clubs, criminalises throwing missiles, encroaching onto pitch engaging in indecent or ‘racialist’ chanting. It is argued here that has struggled keep pace developments behaviour management, it increasingly used manner unanticipated by legislators faces new challenges enforcement result developing human rights law. The may still provide useful tool for but needs substantial amendment remain relevant contemporary legal landscape.