The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2025

Made: 9th July 2025

Laid before Parliament: 11th July 2025

Coming into force: 2nd August 2025

The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 1(1) and 18(2) of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975[^f00001].

The Secretary of State is of the opinion that the conditions in section 1(1) of that Act[^f00002] are satisfied and, in accordance with section 18(4) of that Act, has consulted with such persons and bodies of persons as appear requisite to the Secretary of State.

Citation, commencement and extent

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2025, and comes into force on 2nd August 2025.

• (2) This Order extends to England and Wales.

Amendments to the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015

2

• (1) The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015[^f00003] is amended as follows.

• (2) In Schedule 1 (sports grounds designated under article 2(1))—

• (a) for the entry for the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, occupied by London Legacy Development Corporation, substitute—

; and

• (b) omit the entry for Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium, occupied by North Wales Crusaders, and Wrexham Association Football Club.

• (3) In Schedule 2 (sports grounds designated under article 2(2))—

• (a) before the entry for Oakwell Stadium, occupied by Barnsley Football Club, insert—

• (b) after the entry for the Memorial Stadium, occupied by Bristol Rovers Football Club, insert—

• (c) omit the entry for London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Stadium, occupied by Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club;

• (d) after the entry for Goodison, occupied by Everton Football Club, insert—

• (e) omit the entry for The New Lawn, occupied by Forest Green Rovers Football Club;

• (f) omit the entry for Globe Arena, occupied by Morecambe Football Club;

• (g) omit the entry for Boleyn Ground, occupied by West Ham United Football Club;

• (h) after the entry for Molineux Grounds, occupied by Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, insert—

; and

• (i) omit the entry for Bootham Crescent, occupied by York City Football Club.

• (4) The entry in Schedule 1 for Meadow Lane Stadium, occupied by Notts County Football Club, is moved to the appropriate place in Schedule 2.

• (5) The following entries in Schedule 2 are each moved to the appropriate place in Schedule 1—

• (a) Brunton Park, occupied by Carlisle United Football Club, and

• (b) Roots Hall Football Ground, occupied by Southend United Football Club.

Signed

Stephanie Peacock — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Department for Culture, Media and Sport — 9th July 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Explanatory Note

By section 1(1) of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 (c. 52) the Secretary of State may designate as a sports ground requiring a safety certificate under that Act any sports ground which, in the Secretary of State’s opinion, has accommodation for more than the specified number of spectators.

By the Safety of Sports Grounds (Accommodation of Spectators) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/499), the specified number of spectators is 5,000 in respect of those sports grounds in England and Wales at which association football matches are played and which are occupied by a club that is a member of the Football League Limited or the Football Association Premier League Limited. Sports grounds meeting these conditions may be designated under article 2(2) of, and Schedule 2 to, the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/661, “the 2015 Order”). The specified number of spectators in all other cases is 10,000; those sports grounds are designated under article 2(1) of, and Schedule 1 to, the 2015 Order.

This Order amends the 2015 Order so as to reflect the following recent changes:

• The Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has been renamed “London Stadium”, and the occupier is now London Stadium 185. The sports ground is used to host a variety of sporting activities, including home football matches for West Ham United Football Club;

• The Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium is now known as The Racecourse Ground, and is occupied only by Wrexham Association Football Club which has become a member of the Football League Limited;

• By virtue of promotion, both Barnet Football Club and Bromley Football Club are members of the Football League Limited occupying sports grounds whose capacity exceeds (in the opinion of the Secretary of State) 5,000 spectators;

• Everton Football Club, a member of the Football Association Premier League Limited, now plays at Hill Dickinson Stadium, a sports ground whose capacity exceeds (in the opinion of the Secretary of State) 5,000 spectators. The designation in Schedule 2 to the 2015 Order for its former ground, Goodison Park, is retained because Everton Football Club remains the occupier of that ground as well;

• As a result of relegation, the following clubs are no longer members of the Football League Limited: Carlisle United Football Club, Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club, Forest Green Rovers Football Club, Morecambe Football Club, Southend United Football Club and York City Football Club. However, as the capacity of Brunton Park (for Carlisle United FC) and Roots Hall (for Southend United FC) exceeds (in the opinion of the Secretary of State) 10,000 spectators, the effect of relegation for the purpose of the 2015 Order is that those entries move from Schedule 2 to Schedule 1 to the 2015 Order;

• The entry in the 2015 Order for Notts County Football Club, which was specified in Schedule 1 to the 2015 Order because the capacity of Meadow Lane Stadium exceeded (in the opinion of the Secretary of State) 10,000 spectators, is moved by this Order to Schedule 2 to the 2015 Order as a result of the club being promoted to the Football League.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1975 c. 52; section 1(1) was amended by Schedule 2 to the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 (c. 27).

[^f00002]: By section 1(1) of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, the Secretary of State may by order designate as requiring a safety certificate under that Act any sports ground which, in the Secretary of State’s opinion, has accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators. The Safety of Sports Grounds (Accommodation of Spectators) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/499) substituted the number 5,000 for the number of spectators specified in section 1(1) of that Act in respect of sports grounds in England and Wales at which association football matches are played and which are occupied by a club which is a member of the Football League Limited or the Football Association Premier League Limited.

[^f00003]: S.I. 2015/661, amended by S.I. 2018/1047 and 2019/1116; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.