Yes. Before a club can use its stadium, it must hold a current safety certificate for that ground, and it must also own its stadium and training facilities or have a legally enforceable agreement to use them until at least the end of the current season.
What a club must have for its ground
Here are the requirements a club must have in place for its ground.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Safety certificate | Current, for the stadium |
| Issued under | The Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 |
| If the ground is shared | Either the club or the other party must hold it |
| Stadium and training facilities | Owned, or used under a legally enforceable agreement |
| Length of that agreement | At least to the end of the current season |
The safety certificate is a basic condition of use
The requirement is tied to the stadium itself, and the certificate has to be current. If a club is going to use that ground, the certificate cannot be missing.
The certificate sits under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975.
Ownership is not the only route
A club does not have to own its stadium and training facilities in every case. The other route is a legally enforceable agreement with the owner that gives the club the right to use them.
That agreement cannot end before the end of the current season. The requirement covers both the stadium and the training facilities, so dealing with only one of them is not enough.
Who holds the certificate in a ground-share
In a ground-sharing arrangement, the certificate does not have to be held only by the club playing there. The agreement must provide that either the club or the other party holds a current safety certificate for that stadium.
FAQ
What happens if a club does not have a safety certificate?
A current safety certificate is one of the conditions a club must meet before it can use its stadium. Without it, the ground does not meet that requirement.
Do Premier League clubs have to own their own stadiums?
No. A club can own its stadium, or it can use the stadium under a legally enforceable agreement with the owner.
Do clubs have to own their training ground?
No. Training facilities follow the same structure as the stadium: they can be owned or used under a legally enforceable agreement.
If the club relies on an agreement, it must run until at least the end of the current season.
Is a stadium agreement on its own enough?
No. The requirement covers both the stadium and the training facilities.
If one is covered and the other is not, the club has not met the full condition.