From managing to nullifying risk: blanket bans, football supporters and the rule of law

Byrne, S and Ludvigsen, J (2026) From managing to nullifying risk: blanket bans, football supporters and the rule of law. Entertainment and Sports Law Journal, 24 (1). ISSN 1748-944X (Accepted)

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Abstract

So-called ‘blanket bans’ on visiting football supporters travelling to fixtures of European football competition appear to have become a key source of contention between clubs, fans, football and political authorities, have been neglected in academic analyses. This, despite the recent calls for the need to facilitate and respect football supporters’ rights in Europe. By advancing these debates, this article questions (1) how blanket bans reveal new patterns in the regulation of football crowds in Europe, and (2) examines the ways in which the Saint-Denis Convention may serve as the principal operational and legal axis for shaping and legitimising decisions regarding blanket bans. We argue that public authorities’ turn toward blanket bans, in some cases, symbolises a move from governing individuals toward populations; that seeks to nullify rather than manage risk. Further, we contend that blanket bans give life to new sites of contestations between European football’s key actors and raises legal questions speaking to the legal responsibilities which are enshrined within the Saint-Denis Convention.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	18 Law and Legal Studies; 19 Studies in Creative Arts and Writing; 36 Creative arts and writing; 48 Law and legal studies
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Humanities and Social Science
Publisher:	University of Westminster Press
Date of acceptance:	3 December 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	29 April 2026
Date Deposited:	29 Apr 2026 13:23
Last Modified:	29 Apr 2026 13:23
DOI or ID number:	10.16997/eslj.2060
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28488

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