Data shows that violent disorder arrests have gone down after a peak in the mid 2010’s; however, some premier league clubs still worryingly record high numbers.
It shows that premier league violent disorder arrests were at its worst in the 15/16 season during the 2010’s. That year, there was 369 violent disorders arrests which was much more than any other season in the past decade.
The numbers then fell slightly but remained slightly high with 337 arrests in 16/17 before dropping some more in the next couple years. By 17/18, it fell only slightly to 303 arrests and in 18/19 it fell drastically to 260 arrests, and it hit the lowest in 20/21 with just 42 arrests.
The reason for the significant dip in arrests in the 20/21 season was due to the COVID 19 restrictions with most games being played behind closed doors. With hardly any fans travelling, there was only a few opportunities for violent disorder to happen in or around stadiums.
Since fans returned, the number of violent disorder arrests skyrocketed to 446 violent disorder arrests in the 21/22 season and in the 22/23 season steadily increasing to 477 arrests.
The 23/24 season, the premier league disorder arrests was at its highest it’s ever been with 494 total arrests with a little dip in 24/25 with 431 arrests. The latest figure available for 24/25 shows 1,963 arrests, with 431 for violent disorder. This suggests that the numbers remain higher than pre pandemic but have dipped from the peak of 23/24
Inside vs Outside Stadia – Where arrests are happening?
Data also shows offences occurring inside and outside stadiums. The visible figures include:
Club by Club detailed breakdown
Arrest levels differ between clubs with the highest numbers amongst teams with high attendances and large stadiums.
Manchester United recorded the highest number of home arrests, with 59 total arrests, including 26 which were violent disorder arrests. Liverpool followed with 55 arrests, 12 of which were violent disorder offences.
Other clubs with high figures include:
The major differences highlight how policing strategies and club size vary widely across the league.
An ex Premier League Steward, Stephen Simon, says alcohol is the biggest trigger for violence inside stadiums.
“What usually starts fights was mostly the alcohol,” he said. “When fans are too drunk and don’t listen to instructions anymore, that’s when trouble begins.”
He also believes that stewards are not properly trained to deal with disorder.
“I did not have enough training to deal with violent fans,” he said. “The hardest part was having to forcefully remove fans from the stands, it was dangerous and we were never taught how to handle it safely.”
An unresolved problem
Although the 24/25 figures were slightly lower than the previous 3 seasons, the number of arrests for violent disorder remain notably above pre pandemic levels.
The data shows that issues with violent disorder inside the stadiums haven’t returned to the lower levels that was seen a decade ago.
Even though the tables may not show as much, problems happening away from the stadiums prove that violent disorder troubles aren’t only just inside the grounds.
Police forces and clubs are likely to face lots of attention and continued scrutiny about how they handle safety on match days.
Forest supporter Leo Wilson believes that when rules are enforced differently it causes stress, especially for fans who travel for games. “More consistency in how home games are treated compared to away games would help,” he said. “As an away fan, you feel everything you do is scrutinised, whereas home fans can get away with much worse to incite violence.”
Since several clubs had over 20 arrests at their home games, the latest figures show that football violent disorder in football stadiums remains a public order concern and a big worry for public safety.
As arrests are still higher than the norms, the government and football authorities may feel pressured to add new ways to prevent trouble. They may face pressure to increase stewarding or tighten sanctions for people who keep causing constant troubles.
