MORE POINTLESS POSTURING

New legislation aimed at shutting down the sophisticated and lucrative blight of ticket-touting in football comes into force today after a collaborative effort between the sport's authorities and government.

After 18 months' dialogue, the Football Association, Premier League, Football League, Fifa and Uefa have devised several robust revisions to the criminal justice act designed to reopen the tickets market to genuine fans previously priced out of matches.

One key development outlaws the scalping of football tickets over the internet, closing a loophole that has allowed unauthorised ticketing agents to put seats on mass sale for matches.

“The transfer of touting from the street corner to the internet rendered the original legislation out of date,” said Lord Pendry, the former shadow sports minister who championed the new laws.

“These new measures are the most stringent laws against ticket touting anywhere in the world. The key now is for football and the enforcement authorities to work together to put them into practice and protect football and its fans from touting.”

From today, any internet site carrying advertisements from unauthorised ticket agents will also itself be committing a criminal offence. Representatives of the FA and the two leagues yesterday attended a meeting with Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service officials to devise a method of enforcing the new legislation.

It is hoped the new laws will enhance the atmosphere at matches, and, significantly, supporters will still be permitted to purchase multiple tickets for distribution to friends, provided this is transacted at face value.