NFIP Network
History
The risks associated with European football matches are extensive, ongoing and well documented. Millions of football supporters traverse Europe annually in connection with hundreds of football matches with an international dimension. Public order related incidents occur in over half of these matches which can and does pose significant safety and security risks to millions of European citizens who attend matches or reside in the cities and towns hosting football events.
It was the degree of risk, highlighted by serious incidents of football violence and disorder during the 1998 World Cup in France and the 2000 European Championships in Belgium, which prompted Interior Ministry and policing football specialists in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and the UK to establish the European Think Tank in 2000.
The aim was to develop a mechanism for enabling experts from MS and beyond to develop European wide measures for preventing and tackling football-related violence and disorder, notably in respect of:
• Coordinating and overseeing the development of a European network of police National Football Information Points (NFIPs) - then an informal (embryonic) network established in 1989 following serious disorder during the 1988 European Championships in (the then) West Germany;
• Developing European-wide initiatives aimed at enhancing European police co-operation and preventing and tackling football-related safety and security risks; and,
• Preparing proposals for the EU to introduce measures on specialist police co-operation and related measures designed by expert policing football practitioners for their counterparts in MS and beyond.
Participation in the TT expanded apace, in tandem with the development of the NFIP network to the current position whereby NFIPs are in place in 38 European States, including every MS.
This expansion is of the utmost importance given that the dynamic of football related criminality and associated European police co-operation is a highly specialist area which is quite distinct from other thematic areas associated with policing European-wide criminality
Members
 ALBAlbania |  AUTAustria |  AZEAzerbaijan |
|---|---|---|
 BELBelgium |  BGRBulgaria |  HRVCroatia |
 CYPCyprus |  CZECzech Republic |  DNKDenmark |
 ESTEstonia |  FINFinland |  FRAFrance |
 GEOGeorgia |  DEUGermany |  GRCGreece |
 HUNHungary |  ISLIceland |  IRLIreland |
 ITAItaly |  LVALatvia |  LTULithuania |
 LUXLuxembourg |  MKDNorth Macedonia |  MLTMalta |
 NLDNetherlands |  NORNorway |  POLPoland |
 PRTPortugal |  ROURomania |  SRBSerbia |
 SVKSlovakia |  SVNSlovenia |  ESPSpain |
 SWESweden |  CHESwitzerland |  TURTurkey |
 GBRUnited Kingdom |
Executive
Management Board
In addition to the Chair and Vice-Chair, the experts group also appoints a board comprising of four core members to act on behalf of the main Group. Collectively they act as the European NFIP Network Oversight and Coordination Executive. All members of the executive are elected on the basis of a majority vote by the core membership of the Experts Group for a period of 4 years.
Former Executive
David Bohannan
President
Along with representatives from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, David Bohannan was a co-founder of the European Group of Football Safety and Security Experts (otherwise known as the "Think Tank") and the Group's independent Chair since 2004. Initially established in 2000, the remit of the group was and remains to bring together policing football and governmental experts from across Europe in order to: i) identify and assess established and emerging risks in connection with international football events; ii) develop possible solutions capable of being customised to meet national circumstances and imperatives, iii) harmonise European guidance and recommended good practices; and iv) determine the best means for pursuing work streams and promulgating established good practices.
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Between 1999 and 2011, David was Head of the UK Home Office unit responsible for developing and overseeing delivery of a comprehensive football disorder strategy based on an in-depth analysis of the football disorder dynamic, recognition of the need for a sophisticated government-led multi-agency approach, and tough but proportionate football exclusion measures designed to deter violence and disorder in connection with football events (at home and abroad), prevent repeat offending, and encourage rehabilitation.
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On behalf of UK Government, David was also responsible for coordinating the UK's multi-agency preparations for participation in a series of European Championships and World Cups, heading the UK delegation to the Council of Europe Standing Committee on the Convention of Spectator Violence (2000 to 2010), and leading for the Home Office on a series of civil and other emergencies.
Adrian Dinca
Honorary Chair
Adrian began his law enforcement career in 2002 and he holds an experience of more than 17 years as international police cooperation officer and later on as deputy head of the National Football Information Point of Romania.
He was involved in the work of the European Group of Policing Football and NFIP Experts (Think Tank) – NFIP network for more than 10 years, in 2015 being elected as vice-chair of this body and as of November 2021 as Chair. In this function, he is responsible for the strategic management of the European NFIP network and contributed to the development of the current European legal framework in this field, analysis instruments for police data, monitoring and technical assistance activities, NFIP website and various training programs.
Mr.Dinca also held the position of Vice-chair of the Council of Europe Convention on Spectator Violence (T-RV) Standing Committee from 2016 to 2018 and Chair from 2018 to 2020, being elected for these positions by delegates from the Member States parties to this international Treaty.
From April 2021, Adrian has been elected as the first Chair of the new established Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events for the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (T-S4) for a mandate of 2 years.
Adrian has been a part of the operational support teams deployed for several major sport events (notably EURO 2008, Europa League final 2012 and EURO 2016) and he was a member of the management structure of the International Police Cooperation Centre (IPCC) for the EURO 2020, which was hosted at Europol headquarters in Hague.
He is involved as expert in various international training sessions related to safety and security at sport events, organized by UEFA, European Think Tank, Council of Europe and CEPOL.
Adrian holds a Bachelors’ Degree in law, Master’s degree in international police cooperation and he is currently involved in research for his PhD in homeland security and policing sport events.
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In 2025 took took on a new position with UEFA as advisor on their Safety and Security Unit.