SAFECROWDS GROUP’s team joined safety officers, local authority representatives, and consultants from across the football industry and other sports recently, as exhibitors and delegates at the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) annual conference at Aintree.
Counter Terrorism
For the second consecutive year, we were not only exhibiting at the event, but also had some of our rated HVM systems on show outside the venue at the famous race track, including our RB50 movable barrier and our ARX Stopper!™ temporary HVM system.
Following royal assent for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act: 2025 (Martyn’s Law) in April, we had anticipated increased interest in our Threat Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (TVRA) and Vehicle Dynamics Assessment (VDA) services, and we were proved correct! Our Counter Terrorism Executive, Mark Cavies, was on hand to talk delegates through how we carry out those in-depth risk assessments and was also able to explain their vital role in providing an evidence base for correct specification and placement of hostile vehicle mitigation, emphasising the importance of matching the rating to the level of risk. Having the opportunity to ask questions of a specialist like Mark was invaluable to delegates and these conversation were very much educational and informative rather than hard sell, with Mark able to discuss some of the operational recommendations that can be included in counter terrorism planning to reduce risk and minimise the level of HVM required.
Hostile Vehicle Mitigation
There was also a great deal of interest in both our temporary and permanent HVM systems. We were able to talk delegates through the way in which we specify HVM aligned to the identified risk and always ensure the systems are installed by our own trained and skilled technicians to be certain that they are deployed to manufacturer’s guidelines and to the bespoke RAMS for the project.
Many of the delegates we spoke to about HVM were interested in our ability to deliver both HVM and traffic management as an integrated service, recognising the need for co-ordination between these two disciplines on event days to ensure both safety and operational efficiency.
Training
Our SAFECROWDS GROUP Academy was another area that garnered a lot of interest at the conference, with delegates interested in a wide range of training; from first aid and spectator safety, through to our bespoke counter terrorism training. Our Training Manager, Anthony Doe, was on hand to talk delegates through our approach to maintaining high standards and delivering Highfield and QNUK certification for those who make the grade.
We had varied conversations about our other security services for stadiums and sports venues too, including our canine detection teams, SIA licensed security teams and stewarding. It was interesting to hear the challenges that safety officers face in aligning the needs of the club, the fans, and the community with safety critical decisions about security.
Continuous Development
Crowd safety at stadiums and sporting events is a serious business, and it was fantastic to see such a high level of attendance and engagement across the varied programme of talks at the event. We attended the session about the consultation for the next edition of the SGSA Green Guide, which is due for publication in 2028 and will look forward to future safety requirements for stadiums and sports grounds into the 2030s and beyond. We also enjoyed an informative update on Martyn’s Law, attended an interesting session on the impact of vehicle security barriers on crowd flows, and benefitted from a talk about the Premier League sponsored Stewarding Reform project.
We’re proud to support the sports industry, fixture after fixture, and part of that service is a responsibility to keep up-to-date with current threats and challenges. Attending the SGSA annual conference is just one of the ways we’re doing that, and it was rewarding to see how much work is going on behind the scenes to work collaboratively and keep people safe.
