General access terms for authorised representatives
These General Access Terms apply to individuals who attend the venue of any Premier League or English Football League match for the purpose of conducting any media-related activity on behalf of any organisation that is party to an accreditation agreement with Football DataCo Limited (“DataCo”). For the purposes of these General Access Terms, each such individual is an “Authorised Representative”, each such organisation is an “Organisation” and each such venue or location is a “Venue”.
By agreeing to these General Access Terms, submitting a request for accreditation, and/or by attending any Venue (even if you have not indicated your express agreement to these General Access Terms), you accept and agree that these General Access Terms will apply to you, including your access to and attendance at any Venue.
The obligations set out in these General Access Terms are without prejudice to the obligations imposed on the Organisation you act on behalf of pursuant to its accreditation agreement with DataCo (“Accreditation Agreement”) and any rights and remedies that DataCo may have under the Accreditation Agreement. Prior to attending any Venue, all Authorised Representatives should review the key terms summary of the Accreditation Agreement that are appended to the Accreditation Agreement.
1. Purpose of Access
1.1 Access to Venues is permitted solely for the purpose(s) and in respect of the competition(s) and match(es) set out in the Accreditation Agreement. For the purposes of these General Access Terms, the relevant competition(s) is the “Competition”, any match of such Competition is a “Match”, and the relevant league(s) (being the Premier League and/or the English Football League) is the “League”. Authorised Representatives must have regard at all times to the reasonable interests and wishes of the clubs participating in the Competition (“Clubs”) and cause as little disruption as possible to other accredited representatives (including the media), spectators, players, Club, Match officials and the Match(es).
1.2 All access granted to Authorised Representatives is subject to:
(a) the direction of any representatives of the Club that controls the Venue (the “Home Club”);
(b) compliance with the ground regulations and ticket conditions at the relevant Venue;
(c) compliance with the regulations and guidance of the UK Government and other applicable authorities; and
(d) compliance with the League’s and Home Club’s safeguarding policies and any other relevant policies or requirements of the League and the Home Club as may be notified from time to time.
(a) the direction of any representatives of the Club that controls the Venue (the “Home Club”);
(b) compliance with the ground regulations and ticket conditions at the relevant Venue;
(c) compliance with the regulations and guidance of the UK Government and other applicable authorities; and
(d) compliance with the League’s and Home Club’s safeguarding policies and any other relevant policies or requirements of the League and the Home Club as may be notified from time to time.
2. Conduct
2.1 No Authorised Representative is entitled to film, take, record, distribute or otherwise exploit any audio-visual or audio material (whether using professional filming equipment, mobile devices or otherwise) within or from any Venue unless the Accreditation Agreement expressly permits such activities.
2.2 To the extent Authorised Representatives are permitted to take, make and/or publish photographs and/or editorial reports within or from any Venue pursuant to the Accreditation Agreement, Authorised Representatives must only do so in accordance with the requirements of the Accreditation Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, and without prejudice to the foregoing, such photographs and/or text reports must not be used or published (unless expressly permitted in the Accreditation Agreement): (a) on any channels on social media platforms or on any websites or other platforms owned, operated, or used by Authorised Representatives; (b) as part of any merchandise or souvenir; (c) in any way connected to any gambling service or gambling product, any game or competition, or any website, publication or other service that includes any content that infringes any intellectual property rights or is offered, titled, described or promoted as being ‘live’, ‘official’ or on a single Club or player basis; (d) in a manner that amounts to or emulates audio-visual or audio material or match commentary or data service; (e) in a manner that suggests an endorsement or commercial association unless an agreement in respect of such an endorsement or commercial association exists between the relevant parties; and (f) for the purposes of training artificial intelligence technologies, including artificial intelligence technologies that are capable of generating works.
2.3 To the extent Authorised Representatives are permitted to take photographs pursuant to the Accreditation Agreement, such photographs may not be sold (including as part of any ‘photosale’) without the consent of the Clubs featured in the photograph and may not be altered or manipulated by means other than 'flipping', 'cropping', standard computerised 'enhancement' in the form of minor alterations and/or presenting a player as employed by a Club other than the Club to which they are registered at the time of publication but only in order to anticipate the post-transfer photo call in circumstances where the player’s transfer has been officially announced or confirmed by the transferee Club, and computer-generated composite players.
2.4 No Authorised Representative is entitled to collect, collate, supply, distribute, use or publish or otherwise communicate (on any medium and at any time) any match/player data or statistics generated or created whilst at the Venue (whether that be pre-match, during the match or post-match (including during activities on the pitch after the final whistle)) for any purposes (including provision of the same to the gambling industry).
2.5 Authorised Representatives must not use their attendance at any Venue for any purpose other than the purposes permitted under paragraph 1.1 (including any form of demonstration, political activity or protest, or any commercial activity which is unrelated to the Competition or the relevant Match).
2.6 When attending any Match, Authorised Representatives must hold (and produce upon demand) a valid digital photo ID card.
2.7 Authorised Representatives must:
(a) only occupy those areas of the Venues stipulated to them by the Home Club;
(b) not transfer their accreditation to any other person and shall return such accreditation to the Home Club immediately on demand or otherwise at the conclusion of the Match or other relevant event for which they have been provided with accreditation;
(c) exit the Venue promptly at the conclusion of their professional duties at the Match or other relevant event for which they have been provided with accreditation;
(d) conduct themselves in a way that will not bring the League (or any entity affiliated with it, including DataCo), any Club, and/or the Match or other relevant event into disrepute and behave at all times in a manner to be expected of a professional in their field, and shall not interfere with other accredited representatives (including the media), spectators, players, Club, Match officials or the Match itself and shall refrain from any behaviour that is offensive, aggressive, or discourteous;
(e) without prejudice to (d), not make any defamatory, aggressive, or offensive (including discriminatory) statements or actions in respect of, or directed at, the League (or any entity affiliated with it, including DataCo), any Club, or any member of either of the foregoing’s staff or personnel engaged by them, or any other accredited representatives (including the media), spectators, players, or officials, irrespective of whether or not such statements or actions are made whilst the Authorised Representative is at a Venue or at any time afterwards (including where a statement is made via remote means (such as on social media)) provided that nothing in this paragraph shall prevent or otherwise be construed to restrict any legitimate journalistic criticism by any Authorised Representative; and
(f) not assist any unauthorised individual/company to gain access to the Venue.
(a) only occupy those areas of the Venues stipulated to them by the Home Club;
(b) not transfer their accreditation to any other person and shall return such accreditation to the Home Club immediately on demand or otherwise at the conclusion of the Match or other relevant event for which they have been provided with accreditation;
(c) exit the Venue promptly at the conclusion of their professional duties at the Match or other relevant event for which they have been provided with accreditation;
(d) conduct themselves in a way that will not bring the League (or any entity affiliated with it, including DataCo), any Club, and/or the Match or other relevant event into disrepute and behave at all times in a manner to be expected of a professional in their field, and shall not interfere with other accredited representatives (including the media), spectators, players, Club, Match officials or the Match itself and shall refrain from any behaviour that is offensive, aggressive, or discourteous;
(e) without prejudice to (d), not make any defamatory, aggressive, or offensive (including discriminatory) statements or actions in respect of, or directed at, the League (or any entity affiliated with it, including DataCo), any Club, or any member of either of the foregoing’s staff or personnel engaged by them, or any other accredited representatives (including the media), spectators, players, or officials, irrespective of whether or not such statements or actions are made whilst the Authorised Representative is at a Venue or at any time afterwards (including where a statement is made via remote means (such as on social media)) provided that nothing in this paragraph shall prevent or otherwise be construed to restrict any legitimate journalistic criticism by any Authorised Representative; and
(f) not assist any unauthorised individual/company to gain access to the Venue.
3. Revocation and Suspension of accreditation
Without prejudice to its rights and remedies under the Accreditation Agreement, DataCo reserves the right to revoke or suspend any Authorised Representative’s accreditation (or other permission to attend) and to refuse access to any Venue(s) if any activities are undertaken other than for a purpose permitted under these General Access Terms or if any Authorised Representative does not comply with these General Access Terms.
4. General
4.1 If at any time any provision of these General Access Terms shall be held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, under any rule of law or enactment, such provision or part shall to that extent be deemed not to form part of these General Access Terms but the enforceability of the remainder of the General Access Terms shall not be affected.
4.2 Save for the Leagues and Home Clubs, a person who is not a party to a contract incorporating these General Access Terms will not have any right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any provisions under such contract.
4.3 These General Access Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The Authorised Representative submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales to settle any dispute or claim that arises out of or in connection with these General Access Terms.