A new league table detailing football-related arrests has been released, revealing that Manchester City supporters accounted for the highest number of arrests during the 2025-26 season. The Home Office figures, published on Thursday, indicate that incidents were reported at 1,644 matches across England and Wales last season, a record high since the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) began compiling this data in 2017-18. This comes as police chiefs intensify their demands for football clubs to shoulder a greater proportion of the costs associated with matchday policing.
According to the data, Manchester City recorded 102 arrests, placing them at the top of the list. They were followed by Chelsea with 76 arrests, Manchester United with 67, Arsenal with 66, and Millwall with 63. West Ham United maintained their position as the club with the highest number of active banning orders, which increased from 112 to 121. Despite the overall rise in reported incidents, the total number of football-related arrests and police actions saw a slight decrease of two per cent from the previous year, with 1,963 arrests made. This marks the second consecutive season where arrest numbers have fallen.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts of Cheshire Police voiced strong concerns over the current funding model, stating it “simply cannot continue” as taxpayers currently bear an estimated £70 million of the annual policing costs. Roberts highlighted that while clubs contribute to policing within stadium grounds, they are not obligated to pay for police presence outside, where much of the football-related crime occurs. He emphasised that this burden on the taxpayer is unsustainable and called for a revised funding structure.
In response, a spokesperson for the Premier League underlined the organisation's commitment to ensuring safe environments for fans. They stated that the Premier League and its clubs invest over £90 million per season in stewarding, security, community crime prevention, and technology-led pilot programmes in collaboration with police forces and the UKFPU. The League believes this collaborative approach is helping to reduce the demand for policing around matches, despite the recent figures.
Further details from the Home Office report show that as of 1 June 2026, there were 2,460 banning orders in force, the highest figure since the end of the 2011-12 season. The data also revealed a significant 73 per cent increase in online hate and abuse incidents in the 2025-26 season compared to the previous year, rising from 234 to 405. Additionally, 45 arrests were made for unauthorised entry, which became a Schedule 1 offence under the Football Spectators Act 1989 on 22 March 2026.