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West Ham and Man Utd top football arrest chart with Man City above Millwall

West Ham United fans top the football arrest charts, with Manchester United following just behind.

Manchester City supporters also rank highly on the list - even topping notorious hooligans Millwall for the most arrests.

The study, which was conducted by QR Code Generator, analysed arrest figures at football matches between 2019 and 2023, with West Ham having recorded the most.

Famed for their rowdiness on the terraces, the Hammers clocked up a whopping 214 arrests during the four-year time period - over 30 more than second place!

Explaining the reasons behind the arrests, those behind the study said: “The most common reason for the arrests was public disorder, which includes offences such as intimidating and threatening fans of the opposing team; in total, 74 West Ham fans were arrested for this.

“Other prominent reasons for arrests included violent disorder, which accounted for 54 arrests, and throwing missiles, which amounted to 39 arrests. ”

Figures were taken from the Home Office’s statistics for football-related arrests, with United just finishing ahead of rivals City - something they haven’t been able to say all too much on the pitch in recent years.

The Red Devils boasted 178 arrests between 2019 and 2023, whereas, on the opposite side of the Mancunian divide, City had 171.

But Millwall, another fanbase - perhaps rightly or wrongly - whose reputation goes before them at times, were nowhere to be seen in the top five.

Instead, the top five consisted of West Ham (214), Man United, (178), Man City (171), Leeds United (165) and Leicester City (135).

Making up the top 10 were Birmingham City (130), Everton (125), Tottenham (121), Millwall (117) and Chelsea (112).

The notable Premier League clubs to have escaped without as many arrests as their Manchester and London counterparts include Arsenal, whose fans were nicked on 107 occasions and Liverpool, who just about made it to triple figures with 100.

Overall, the study recorded a total of 5,223 football fans who were arrested from 2019 to 2023 - a number that didn’t include arrests from international fixtures.

It comes amid a general uptick in football-related violence, with arrests having risen in the 2022/23 campaign, as per The Times.

Speaking in 2023, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the NPCC lead for football policing, stated: “But what the figures show is that disorder at football has sadly not gone away, and we are continuing to work with partners including the Premier League, EFL and FA to collectively make football a safe environment for the overwhelming majority of supporters who just want to enjoy the game.”

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