As the latest Home Office figures reveal a significant spike in incidents at English football matches, senior police officials are sounding the alarm, urging clubs to share more of the financial burden for policing. The statistics paint a stark picture: 1,644 games reported "football-related anti-social behaviour, violence and disorder" during the 2025-26 season, an increase of 4% on the previous campaign, with 1,695 arrests recorded overall.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the lead for football policing in England and Wales, points out that nearly half (46%) of all arrests related to football incidents occur outside stadium perimeters. He argues that this unsustainable situation, where multi-billion-pound clubs contribute nothing towards policing costs beyond their grounds, results in taxpayers footing a staggering £70 million bill each season.
The Home Office data highlights the impact of recent changes to reporting categories, including "unauthorised entry" under the Football Spectators Act 1989, which contributed to an additional 45 arrests. Additionally, new categories for sexism and misogyny resulted in 22 reported matches, while violence against women and girls was recorded at 37 matches.
The report's findings also underscore ongoing challenges with spectator behaviour across various competitions. Hate crime was reported at 491 matches, followed by the throwing of missiles (359 games) and pyrotechnics use (316 matches). Notably, the FA Cup saw four arrests or actions per 100,000 attendees for men's football, compared to a significantly lower figure for women's matches.
The number of Football Banning Orders (FBOs) has reached its highest level since 2012, with 2,460 orders currently in place. This represents an increase of 568 from the previous season and demonstrates ongoing efforts to maintain safety at football events.