Match Day Security at Australian Sport Stadia: A Case Study of Eight Venues

Abstract

Due to the continuing threat of sport-related terrorism, venue managers need to develop, maintain, and improve match day security operations. Frosdick and Walley (1999) proposed the use of a strategic vision in sport and safety management to include the three components of strategic analysis, choice, and implementation. The purpose of this case study was to continue the work of Pantera and his colleagues to answer the question "Where are we now?" (i.e., strategic analysis) within the Australian context. Data collection involved the observation of the application of 13 security measures (i.e., basic protection plan) of eight stadia in addition to interviews with eight stadium managers to investigate the application of the 38-item "best practices" checklist. The results indicate that stadium managers were more concerned with the prevention of spontaneous terror and used a traditional Australian framework of risk management, multipurpose stadia had more resources than single-purpose stadia to establish a basic protection plan, and it was a challenge to balance security with the operating budget, spectator enjoyment, and venue personnel stress. Future match day security research, within the Australian context, should focus on establishing "Where do we want to be?" (i.e., strategic choice) and "How do we get there?" (i.e., strategic implementation).