Football Arrests Decline, But New Categories Reveal Deeper Issues
New data shows a shift in fan misconduct, with online abuse surging and policing costs remaining a contentious issue.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Sarah Connor
UK Government police figures confirm a second consecutive season of declining football arrests, yet new reporting categories expose a disturbing rise in sexism and violence against women.
Despite a general reduction in arrests, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City remain prominent among the top five clubs for football banning orders; West Ham currently leads this list, reflecting persistent security concerns.
Security incidents plagued 1,644 matches in England and Wales, marking the highest figure since the UK Football Policing Unit began collecting data in 2017-18.
The 2025-26 season introduced new reporting categories: 'sexism and misogyny' and 'violence against women and girls.' These additions revealed previously unquantified misconduct, despite lacking historical precedent within UK football policing.
Twenty-two matches recorded reports for sexism, and 37 for violence against women, indicating a broader scope of issues now under official tracking; the Home Office confirmed these new categories largely drove the overall increase in reported incidents.
Historically, the legal framework combating organized football hooliganism has evolved significantly since its inception, now encompassing a wider range of fan behaviors, including domestic abuse, political and offensive gestures, and racist conduct.
Legal expert Laura Baumanis claims laws intended for violent hooligans are increasingly imposed for relatively low-level offending, casting a net wider than Parliament originally intended.
Behavior that might receive a warning in other settings quickly escalates to a criminal matter when football supporters are involved.
Baumanis argues not every breach of football regulations should automatically become a criminal offense; the law must distinguish between genuine hooliganism and ordinary fan behavior.
Behavior that might receive a warning in other settings quickly escalates to a criminal matter when football supporters are involved, Baumanis asserts.
Beyond the legal debate, the financial burden of policing football matches continues as a significant point of contention for stakeholders; the breakdown of the £56.82 million in policing costs for the 2023-24 season remains without explicit detail.
For the 2023-24 season, football clubs covered £14.87 million of the total policing cost, leaving taxpayers to fund the remaining £56.82 million.
UK football police chief Mark Roberts stated the current funding model, which sees multi-billion-pound clubs avoid paying for policing outside their grounds, is unsustainable; he highlighted that the model, which sees £70 million of the cost falling on taxpayers, 'doesn’t work.'
The current funding model, which sees multi-billion-pound clubs avoid paying for policing outside their grounds, is unsustainable; the model, which sees £70 million of the cost falling on taxpayers, doesn’t work.
Meanwhile, the landscape of football-related incidents shifts dramatically with a significant rise in online abuse; online hate and abuse incidents surged by 73% in 2025-26 compared to the previous season, climbing from 234 to 405.
Roberts claims that while fans' behavior abroad has improved, incidents at home have worsened, a trend driven by young supporters and online hate crimes.
He asserts the 'hardcore England football hooligan is dead,' now existing only in fictional portrayals like the Green Street movie series.
However, incidents at home during tournaments have included two stabbings, a strangulation, and a police station surrounded by individuals throwing bricks; this contrasts with only 25 England fans involved in incidents at the last three World Cups.
Manchester United saw the largest decrease in supporter arrests, dropping by 60 incidents, which represents a 47% reduction from the 2024-25 season.
Conversely, Portsmouth experienced the largest increase in arrests, rising from 16 to 55, indicating localized spikes in misconduct.
This strategic shift follows a series of legislative changes and parliamentary debates prompted by increasing concerns over security and safety at football matches; unauthorized entry to a football stadium was officially added to Schedule 1 of the Football Spectators Act 1989 in March 2026, broadening the scope of prosecutable offenses.
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