Increase in football violence: the figures

Yesterday the Home Office published its annual statistics on football related arrests and banning orders for the 2021-2022 season.

There were 2,198 arrests, a big jump on the number from three seasons previously, the most recent realistic comparison since the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons were significantly impacted by the pandemic restrictions meaning that crowds were much lower – or even non-existent. This is significant because there had been a significant downward trend in football related arrests since the 2010-2011 season. From 2010-2011 to 2018-2019, the number of arrests had fallen from 3,089 to 1,381.

Details

The most common offence types last season were public disorder (36%), violent disorder (20%) and pitch incursion (14%). There were also an additional 140 Schedule 1 football-related arrests by British Transport Police (BTP), and 314 Other (non-Schedule 1) in the 2021 to 2022 football season. Nearly two-thirds (64%; 1,404) of the 2,198 arrests in the 2021 to 2022 football season occurred inside the football ground, which compares with 59% in the 2018 to 2019 football season (and 37% in the 2020 to 2021 football season).

Football banning orders

As at 28 July 2022, 1,308 football banning orders were in force. In the 2021 to 2022 football season, 516 new banning orders were issued, which is around 94% of the 2018 to 2019 football season (pre COVID-19) level. Unsurprisingly, almost all (99.5%) banning orders relate to men with 70% issued to young men aged between 18 and 34 years old with a further 3% to those aged under 18. The Home Office also publishes data on banning orders on a club-by-club basis. Hang your head in shame if you support Birmingham City, Millwall, Bolton, Liverpool, Everton or Leicester.

Full details in the table reproduced below.

Two of these six teams also feature in the list of clubs with the highest number of supporters arrested last season. Again, look away now if you support West Ham, the Manchester clubs (City & United, Leicester or Everton. Full details in the infographic reproduced below – I like the fact that the Home Office has removed sponsors’ details from the shirts, something no doubt appreciated by those sponsors too, given the context of the data.

The level of detail provided in the Home Office statistics is a joy for anyone with a nerdy disposition. For instance we can also learn that there is the most trouble at FA Cup matches (8.7 arrests per 100,000 supporters in attendance) and the least trouble at international matches (3.2 arrest per 100,000 supporters). Interestingly, there is more likely to be arrests at League Two and National League games that at Premier League and Champions League/Europa Cup matches.

Reported incidents at football matches

Incidents were reported at 1,609 football matches in the 2021 to 2022 football season, more than half (53%) of all matches. The number of matches with reported incidents increased by 60% (+602 matches) compared with 1,007 matches in the 2018 to 2019 season.

The good news, though, is that although football-related arrests have increased markedly, almost two thirds (64%) of incidents were assessed as low risk (a post-match incident report assessment is conducted after each regulated domestic football match and allocates a low, medium, or high risk category to each match depending on the severity of incidents that occurred before, during and after the match).

The most reported types of incidents were pyrotechnics (729 matches where incidents were reported), throwing missiles (561) and public order or anti-social behaviour incidents involving youth supporters (444).