SHOWN THE RED CARD
The number of banning orders issued to badly-behaved fans is on the rise
The number of banning orders issued, by season
THE number of banning orders issued to football fans is on the rise.
New figures from the Home Office reveal 549 bans were handed out in the 2018/19 season.
That marks a rise from 460 such orders the year before.
It is also the highest number recorded since the 2014/15 season, when comparable records began.
That year, 484 orders were dished out out to badly-behaved fans.
Football banning orders are issued to help prevent violence and disorder at games.
People with banning orders aren’t allowed to attend any regulated matches in the UK and may have to surrender their passport to police before matches overseas.
The orders are issued following a conviction for a football-related offence or following a complaint by a local police force, the British Transport Police, or the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
They usually last between three and five years.
Stoke City saw highest number of new banning orders last season, at 46.
It was followed by Port Vale (310, Portsmouth (24) and Aston Villa (21).
This year marks the first time the Home Office has published an age and gender breakdown of people given banning orders.
The data reveals some 410 were issued to those aged between 18 and 34, and 78 were given to those aged between 35 and 49.
A further 53 bans were handed out to people aged between 50 and 64, and seven were given to youngsters aged between 10 and 17. One pensioner also received a ban in the 2018/19 season.
Just six of the banning orders were for females - one who was aged between 18 and 24 and five who were aged between 35 and 49.
In more positive news, however, the number of football-related arrests is falling.
There were 1,381 in the 2018/19 season - down from 1,542 the year before and the lowest number since at least 2010/11, when modern records began.
The five clubs with the highest number of football supporters arrested were Stoke City (80), Leeds United (49), Aston Villa (42, Sheffield United (41) and Manchester City (39).