Context of the workshop

In the framework of the launch event of the joint European Union and Council of Europe project Balance S4, an Awareness-Raising Workshop on Safety and Service essentials at Sports Events was organised on 25 April. 

The workshop was organised back-to-back with the 5th plenary meeting of the Saint-Denis Convention and the Ad hoc Working Group on UEFA EURO 2024 (Germany). A total of 35 participants attended the Balance S4 launch event and workshop. 

Some of the main beneficiaries of the project, the national public and private authorities responsible for sport, the police's National Football Information Point (NFIP) and right holders organisations such as Football Supporters Europe (FSE), who advocates for the rights of supporters, were already gathered for the 5th plenary meeting of the Saint-Denis Convention. It provided a specific opportunity to raise their awareness on the two pillars of the Convention which are less considered: the Safety and the Service.

Additionnally, the workshop benefited from the intervention of experts of safety and service, namely Ken Scott, Head of Inspectorate at the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA), Siobán O'Brien, Fans Relation Manager at the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and Stuart Dykes, Head of Institutional and European Affairs at Football Supporters Europe (FSE). 

The purpose of this workshop was to raise the awareness of the main beneficiaries of the project on the importance to address safety and service together with security when managing sports events. It was also crucial for the beneficiaries to understand their roles in promoting the Saint-Denis Convention integrated approach of safety, security and service at football matches and other sports events (CETS. no. 218). 

The participants to the workshop were provided with a document, prepared for the Council of Europe by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) which summarises 5 essentials of Safety and 5 essentials of Service at sports events.

 

 

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