West Ham United fans top the list of arrests made by police at football matches last season as new Home Office figures point to significant rises in crowd disorder across England and Wales.
Arrests were up by 59 per cent to 2,198 compared to the last full season before the Covid-19 pandemic – the highest number of arrests since 2,273 were made in the 2013-14 season.
And 95 of those were West Ham supporters, with fans of both Manchester clubs, Leicester City and Everton next on the Home Office's naughty list. Reported incidents of disorder at matches have climbed by 60 per cent compared to the last full season pre-Covid.
Incidents were reported at 1,609 of the 3,019 matches played in England and Wales over the course of last season – equating to 53 per cent. In 2018-19, there were reported incidents at 1,007 matches, equivalent to one third of the games played.
There were 441 pitch invasions reported last season – up by a staggering 127 per cent on the 2018-19 campaign – and 384 hate crime incidents, an increase of 99 per cent.
The concluding weeks of last season saw a number of high-profile incidents at games, including Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp being assaulted by a Nottingham Forest supporter after the Championship play-off semi-final and Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira being abused by an Everton fan at Goodison Park.
“Our football clubs are at the heart of our communities, and it is unacceptable that the game we all love is tarnished by a minority of selfish troublemakers," Home Office minister Jeremy Quin said.
“The increase in football-related arrests shows that police are taking firm action to stop this disorder and preserve the enjoyment of the game for fans and families which I wholeheartedly support.”
A crackdown on disorder has already begun since the start of this season, with any fan judged to have stepped on to the playing surface giving an automatic banning order. Those found in possession of pyrotechnics or Class A drugs will also face more severe punishments.
The NPCC Lead for Football Policing, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, said: “Disorder is a problem that has not gone away, and throughout the whole of last season we saw an increase in crime at football matches across the country - from the Premier League right down to the National League.
“Following constructive talks with the Premier League, EFL and FA we are keen to support our partners in delivering their proposals – which include the introduction of stadium bans for people who enter the pitch, as well as those who use pyrotechnics.
“We are also pleased that the Government is adding Class A drugs offences to the banning order legislation. This will provide police with another option to tackle criminal and anti-social behaviour by those who are under the influence of drugs."
