Manchester United supporters recorded the highest number of arrests among all professional football clubs in England and Wales last season, with 121 fans detained during the 2024/25 campaign, according to new Home Office data released on Thursday.
The Red Devils topped the unwanted table ahead of local rivals Manchester City, whose 94 arrests placed them second, whilst West Ham United dropped to third with 77 arrests after leading the statistics for the previous three consecutive seasons.
Nearly half of Manchester United's arrests occurred at Old Trafford, the Premier League's largest stadium with a capacity of 74,310.
Violent disorder and public disorder proved the most common offences among United supporters, accounting for 34 arrests.
PA
|United fans were arrested last season more than any other club
The figures emerged days after a Manchester United season ticket holder received a three-year Football Banning Order for slapping Manchester City's Jack Grealish following April's Manchester derby.
The total number of football-related arrests fell by 11 per cent to 1,932 last season, marking the first decrease since supporters returned to stadiums following the Covid-19 pandemic.The figure represents a significant drop from 2,584 arrests during the 2023-24 campaign.
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Despite the reduction in arrests, the number of matches with reported incidents rose by 18 per cent, from 1,341 to 1,583.
The statistics cover matches involving English and Welsh clubs across the top six tiers of men's football, from the Premier League down to the National League North and South divisions.
Public disorder remained the most common arrest type at 32 per cent, followed by violent disorder at 22 per cent.
The Home Office noted that away supporters accounted for a higher proportion of arrests, with 980 detained compared to 806 at home fixtures.
Hate crime incidents reached their highest recorded level, with at least one incident reported at 420 matches during the season.
This marked a substantial increase from 341 matches in the previous campaign and represents the highest figure since the Home Office began compiling this data in the 2017-18 season.
Race-related incidents dominated the hate crime statistics with 287 reports, followed by 140 incidents concerning sexual orientation, 20 involving religion, 19 related to disability and three concerning gender identity. Online hate crimes connected to football decreased from 322 to 212.
Arrests for Class A drug possession reached 19 per cent of all detentions, the highest proportion since it became a Schedule 1 offence in November 2022. This represents a sharp rise from the initial 9 per cent recorded in the 2022/23 season.
Football banning orders reached their highest level in over a decade, with 2,439 in force as of 1 June 2025, representing a 12 per cent increase from the previous season. The figure marks the highest number since the end of the 2012/13 campaign.
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PA
|West Ham led the table with 112 supporters subject to banning orders
West Ham United led the table with 112 supporters subject to banning orders, up from 93, whilst Manchester United followed with 108, rising from 89.
Chelsea experienced the most dramatic increase, jumping from 54 to 80 orders, propelling them from eighth place to third.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: "Police up and down the country work incredibly hard to ensure football stadiums are safe, so we can all enjoy our national game.
Today's statistics show that these efforts are paying off and strong action is being taken to stop violence and disorder from ruining football."
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