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An England win in the Euro 2020 final could have led to 6,000 ticketless individuals storming Wembley with “horrific” consequences, an independent review has found.
The review of the chaos that unfolded around the match between England and Italy on July 11, led by Baroness Casey of Blackstock, identified a series of “near-misses” which could have resulted in serious injuries or deaths.
The review concluded that there had been a collective failure by all organisations in preparing effectively for the worst-case scenario.
Around 2,000 ticketless people are reported to have gained entry to Wembley on the day England played Italy in the final, with 400 of those ejected.
An official from the London emergency services said that “I can guarantee that we would have been on our knees" had England won in the final.
An FA official told the review that people were stood outside the ground like "zombies", while not even watching the game on their phones.
The review identified 17 mass breaches of disabled access gates and emergency fire doors, which “jeopardised the lives of legitimate supporters and staff”.
Disabled supporters were particularly affected by the breaches, the review found, with the events stretching from 90 minutes before kick off up to the penalty shoot-out.
Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said last month he was convinced the disorder had not “put the kibosh” on hopes of hosting the 2030 World Cup.
The UK and Ireland is considering a bid for the centenary event, with a feasibility study ongoing.
Disability access charity Level Playing Field also contributed to the review, after ticketless individuals entered areas of the stadium reserved for disabled spectators.
Tony Taylor, the chair of LPF, said in a statement to the PA news agency in September: “Events at the Euro 2020 final need to be recognised for what they were: dangerous chaos and disorder that put fans – and especially disabled fans – directly in harm’s way".