Football-related disorder at record low

A total of 3,089 English and Welsh fans were arrested at international and domestic games in 2010/11, which is down 302 from the previous season, and is the lowest level since records began in 1984/5.

There were no arrests at 70 per cent of games and 92 per cent of those whose football banning orders have expired since 2000 were assessed by police as no longer posing a risk of football disorder.

Crime Prevention Minister Lord Henley said: “Football policing is a real British success story.

“Where hooliganism was once described as ‘the English disease’, we now set an example for others to follow.”

The number of football banning orders in place in November also fell, down to 3,173 from 3,248 last year. These included 105 against Chelsea fans – 10 per cent of all the banning orders in the Premier League and the most of any team at that level – 101 against Manchester United fans and 98 against Newcastle United fans.

In the Championship, Cardiff City fans topped the list with 143 banning orders – the most of any club in England and Wales – followed by Leeds United (106) and West Ham (100).

Fans of League Two’s Dagenham and Redbridge were the only group who did not have banning orders, the figures showed. The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) warned that officers would continue to deal with those who seek to bring the game into disrepute.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt, the Acpo lead on football policing, said: “UK policing has led the way in dealing with football-related violence and disorder.

“The effectiveness of banning orders has drawn interest from police forces internationally as an effective method of reducing disorder at football matches.”