A recent report has unveiled a league table of football-related arrests, prompting police to call for increased financial support from clubs to handle match day violence. The Home Office disclosed that there were incidents reported at 1,644 matches in England and Wales during the 2025-26 season, marking the highest total since the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) began tracking these figures in 2017-18.

West Ham holds the record for the most banning orders, rising from 112 to 121, while Manchester City leads in arrests with 102, followed by Chelsea (76), Manchester United (67), Arsenal (66), and Millwall (63).

Chief Constable Mark Roberts of Cheshire Police criticized the current funding model, stating that taxpayers are burdened with £70 million of policing costs, which he argues is unsustainable. He emphasized the need for clubs to contribute financially to ensure safety for fans.

Key points from Roberts' statement include:

• The current funding model “doesn’t work” and must change.
• Football-related crime persists beyond stadiums, with clubs currently paying nothing towards external policing.
• Taxpayers should not be responsible for funding the police presence at matches.

In response, a Premier League spokesperson highlighted their investment of over £90 million annually in stewarding, security, and crime prevention initiatives, asserting that collaboration with police aims to enhance safety for all supporters.

For the 2023-24 season, clubs covered only £14.87 million of the policing costs, leaving £56.82 million for taxpayers. The report also revealed a 73 percent increase in online hate incidents, alongside a slight decline in overall football-related arrests, which fell to 1,963. This marks the second consecutive season of decreased arrests, following a significant rise during the post-Covid recovery period.