We all know footy fans have a bit of a rep for causing trouble. Not everyone’s a troublemaker, but there are a few lads who use match days as an excuse to go off. And unsurprisingly, that usually ends with a run-in with the coppers. Police regularly have to step in and nick fans at games, and a recent survey has nailed down which clubs had the most arrests last season.
No club wants this badge of dishonour, but someone’s gotta wear iand this year, it’s West Ham United fans who top the charts again. Let’s take a quick look at what went down.
West Ham Fans: Top of the Naughty List (Again)
For the second season running, the Hammers’ supporters racked up the most arrests 89 in total. The club says they’ve put tougher systems in place to keep things under control, but it didn’t stop their fans from getting picked up.
Most of those arrests were for throwing missiles inside stadiums 23 fans caught red-handed, more than any other club. Another 27 were nicked for public disorder. It’s not just West Ham, though; four of the “big six” Premier League clubs also made it into the top six for arrests.
The Big Six: Who’s Worst?
Given how massive their fanbases are, it’s no surprise a few of the big six sit near the top. Right behind West Ham are Manchester United with 83 arrests. With all the protests and unrest among their fans, it’s not shocking.
Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham also made the top six. Chelsea just missed out on the top ten, landing 12th. Meanwhile, Liverpool fans came out best behaved, sitting down at 24th place. To put that into perspective, smaller clubs like Plymouth and Bolton had more arrests than the Reds last season.
Fulham: Premier League’s Best-Behaved Fans
On the flip side, Fulham’s fans were almost spotless in their first season back in the Premier League. They barely hit double figures in arrests less than even some lower-league clubs like Rochdale and Oxford United. That’s pretty impressive and shows the Cottagers’ faithful keep their heads down on match days.
But don’t get it twisted, they’re not the cleanest fans in the whole country.
Zero Arrests? Yeah, It Happens
Across the entire English Football League and National League, 11 clubs went the whole season without a single fan arrest. That’s mad when you consider the usual tales of football violence.
These clubs are Altrincham, Sutton United, Boreham Wood, Eastleigh, Gateshead, Harrogate Town, Morecambe, Salford City, Solihull Moors, Woking, and Yeovil Town.
Arrests Are Actually on the Rise, Though
While some clubs keep it clean, overall arrests are at their highest in nearly ten years. Last season saw 2,264 fans get nicked, up from 2,198 the year before. That’s the most since 2013/14, just shy of the record highs back in 2010/11 when over 3,000 arrests were made.
Hate Crime at Matches: Some Good News, Some Bad
Here’s where it gets serious. The number of hate crimes reported at football matches actually dropped overall last season, which is a good sign. Race-related hate crimes took a big hit from 383 down to 248 incidents.
