Ipswich win appeal over Portman Road matchday police costs

Ipswich Town has won its appeal over who should pay for policing outside Portman Road on match days.

Last year the High Court found in favour of Suffolk Constabulary over its claim of more than £500,000 for policing between 2008 and 2013.

The club argued that the force was not entitled to charge for "special police services" on the public highway, namely Portman Road and Sir Alf Ramsay Way, where the gates are turnstiles are situated.

Lawyers for the police said the test of whether the land was "owned, leased or controlled" was the correct one for determining whether it was carrying out special police services, and the club controlled the public highway.

Ipswich Town countered by saying the correct test was whether policing was conducted on public land, as supposed to private, and in any case it did not "control" the public highway.

Now three Court of Appeal judges have listened to the club's arguments again and reversed the decision in a case which could have far-reaching implications on the cost of policing for clubs up and down the country.

One of the judges, Lady Justice Gloster, said the outcome was dependent on the simple, but critical, factor of whether the land where the police discharged what were clearly public order functions was public land or privately owned land.

She said: "It obviates the need for irrelevant enquiries as to, for example, the level of violence amongst club supporters, the precise geographical configurations of the closed areas and the functions carried out respectively by club stewards and the police in such areas, or other variables such as the financial profitability or size of the club concerned.

"It is for Parliament to change the law, if it considers it appropriate to make football clubs pay for police attendance at football matches on the highway, outside the stadium or other privately owned land."