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New data shows an 18% rise in the incidence of trouble at football matches across the country as clubs are urged to take action. Fans of Hesgoal may not always see what goes on off the pitch at these high-profile games.
Disturbing figures show a significant increase in reported disorder at football matches across England and Wales last season, with 1,583 in 2024/25 compared to 1,341 in 2023/24.
This data included football-related violence disorder, anti-social behaviour and harm.
It means at least one incident was reported at more than half of the 3,090 matches played last season from the Premier League down to the National League, as well as games in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Football League Trophy, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and international fixtures.
The number of arrests, however, dropped by 11 per cent from 2,167 to 1,932 – a first decrease since fans returned to stadiums after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Police chiefs warn of strains on policing
Football disorder is on the rise as police struggle to find resources to crush trouble.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said the “worrying level of offending at men’s football matches across the country” is putting an increased strain on the police.
They also said “clubs need to start playing their fair share towards policing matches”.
A return to the dark days of the past?
The 1970s saw the first big rise in football hooliganism, and it was not just the big clubs that produced “firms”.
It was known as the “English disease”, which was as likely to erupt in the lower leagues as in the streets around the country’s famous stadiums.
Plenty of these infamous moments were caught on camera.
A famous picture was taken at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground, in which a fan was being escorted around the side of the pitch and out of the ground by police.
In February 1978, another well-known image was taken – a Manchester United fan at a game against Liverpool being helped by police and a St John Ambulance man with a dart embedded in his face, dangerously close to his eye.
The loss of 96 lives at Hillsborough in 1989 rightly warranted a seismic shift in the way in which we watch the game in this country.
The Taylor Report, published in its wake, resulted in all-seater stadiums. This diminished the opportunities for violence between fans and crucially increased safety.
Now, police and data analysts are warning of a potential return to the dark old days of the 1970s.
Clubs will need to take action if this is to be avoided.
