Football fan arrests at highest level for 8 years

ARRESTS of football hooligans have reached the highest level in eight years, figures showed yesterday.

There were 2,198 football-related arrests in the 2021-22 season, up 59 per cent on the last comparable pre-pandemic period in 2018-19.

Birmingham City fans had the highest number of banning orders – imposed by a court to prevent troublemakers attending games – with 57, followed by Millwall (52) and Bolton Wanderers (46), Home Office figures showed.

Trouble was reported at 1,609 matches in the season, up 60 per cent compared with 2018-19.

Home Office minister Jeremy Quin said: ‘It is unacceptable that the game we all love is tarnished by a minority of selfish troublemakers.

‘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.’

The Home Office extended the scope of football banning orders to cover online hate crimes from the beginning of July this year.

It will allow banning orders to be imposed on thugs who commit football-related racist or homophobic attacks on social media, for example.