Discipline in football is key. No team can expect to achieve any meaningful success if players are constantly getting sent off, giving away penalties, and losing their cool.
Discipline among football fans, however, is a whole separate issue. While hooliganism in Britain has improved from where it was in the last 20th century – when violence was a common theme around the stadiums of most teams – there are certain members of nearly every fanbase who struggled to behave on the right side of the law come matchday.
Using data provided by SeatPick, it has become clear just how prevalent unlawful behaviour connected to football has been over the past five seasons. The report show that public disorder is the most common reason for football-related arrests, accounting for over a third (37.32%) of all cases. But which set of fans are responsible for the most amount of arrests across English football? Read on to learn more.
English Football Teams With Most Arrests Over Past 5 Seasons
Rank Supported
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10 Everton
Football-related arrests: 170
Everton fans invade the pitch at Goodison Park
Everton have had a rough few years, with plenty of ups and downs as they have continually disappointed in the Premier League and yet somehow still avoided relegation. Perhaps fan discontent can be blamed for the number of arrests around the stadium.
The good news is that spirits may well be lifted when the club moves from Goodison Park into their new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock for the start of the 2025/26 season. Their soon-to-be-former ground could generate some of the best atmosphere in British football, so it will be interesting to see if that will be retained after the move.
9 Birmingham City
Football-related arrests: 174
The Second City derby, between Birmingham City and Aston Villa, is up there with the most fierce rivalries in football across the United Kingdom, so perhaps that plays a part in the lofty 174 arrests of Blues fans made over the past five seasons.
In 14 Premier League derbies, two red cards have been produced between the two teams. That might not seem that high but only four more Premier League derbies have seen more dismissals.
With Birmingham looking likely to be promoted to the Championship in 2024/25, their long-term will no doubt to challenge Villa in the English top-flight one day in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, their glamorous new owners may be conceded by their unlawful fan base.
Millwall fans looking angry and then three stadiums in little circles: The Den (Millwall), Ibrox (Rangers), and Elland Road (Leeds) Related
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8 Tottenham Hotspur
Football-related arrests: 176
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy watching on from the stands
Tottenham Hotspur fans haven't had a trophy to celebrate since 2008 but at least they can enjoy the fact that their supporters have better discipline than those of north London rivals Arsenal. That may come as a surprise, especially as one Spurs fan picked up an assault charge for kicking Aaron Ramsdle after the Gunners won 2-0 away from home in January 2023 – which saw him banned from football for four years.
Ranking eighth on this list, if there is any ill-feeling around the club it is often laid at the feet of chairman Daniel Levy. Fans can often be seen on the ground, protesting as a way of expressing their displeasure at how the club is run. Only time will tell if his eventual departure, whenever that may be, will lift spirits in Tottenham.
7 Chelsea
Football-related arrests: 179
Chelsea fans singing in unison
In recent seasons, Chelsea Football Club has been through a lot. The catalyst for it all was the departure of long-term owner Roman Abramovich in 2022, who was forced to sell due to sanctions imposed on Russian oligarchs with ties to Vladimir Putin following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Disorder behind the scenes – which has seen the club struggle to perform consistently in the Premier League – seems to be reflected amongst the fanbase as well with the West London outfit seeing 179 football-related arrests over the past five years. Perhaps more stability on match days would help reduce that number in the future. With Todd Boehly calling the shots until 2027, that seems unlikely to change any time soon.
6 Leeds United
Football-related arrests: 188
Leeds United fans celebrate
Leeds United fans are among the loudest and most passionate supporters in all of British football. Adding to that, home ground Elland Road is also one of the most intimidating stadiums around. With both those factors in mind, it's little surprise that the club ranks so high on this list of all English clubs.
Over the past five seasons, the Yorkshire side have enjoyed the highs of promotion and the lows of relegation. That sort of emotion could lead anyone to do something silly, let alone fans already predisposed to showing great passion. A return to Premier League football could be on the cards next season too.
5 Arsenal
Football-related arrests: 192
Arsenal fans
Arsenal do not have a reputation for being a particularly fearsome club. In fact, the Emirates is viewed as one of the least intimidating stadiums in the country. So it's perhaps a little surprising to learn of their position in these rankings.
That said, their fans have never been shy of making their true feelings known – especially when results aren't going their way. Indeed, in spells of bad form, the Emirates can be a toxic place to be. Perhaps that has played a part in the 192 arrests. If Mikel Arteta can deliver a long-awaited Premier League title, it will be interesting to see if arrests in the area decrease.
4 Manchester City
Football-related arrests: 259
Etihad Stadium
Up until quite recently, Manchester City fans have had nothing but success after success to enjoy. Indeed, in the past five seasons, Pep Guardiola has delivered Premier League titles, the Champions League, and much more than fans could have ever expected pre-the 2008 takeover.
Even so, that hasn't been enough to quell bad behaviour amongst the fanbase. Maybe discipline has been lost amid the euphoria of all that success but it is quite something to see how the Cityzens have picked 259 football-related arrests – a significant jump up from Arsenal's 192.
3 Manchester United
Football-related arrests: 266
With 266 arrests, Manchester United show that the whole of the city has been causing local police plenty of problems in recent years. The most common arrests among Red Devils were made for public disorder, where 76 arrests occurred.
What's more, Man Utd fans lead in alcohol-related offences (36) and have the highest number of arrests for entering the pitch (23), highlighting how celebrations (or frustrations) often cross the line. Struggles on the pitch in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era may be partly to blame for all these issues off the pitch. With a shiny new stadium hoping to revamp the Old Trafford area, maybe fan behaviour will improve.
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2 West Ham United
Football-related arrests: 317
West Ham United fans have wracked up 317 arrests over the past five seasons, making them the highest-ranking Premier League club on that front. They rank second on this list, as their unfortunate reputation for disorderly conduct is further enhanced.
Indeed, the Hammers also lead the way in football banning orders, with 93 active in the 2023/24 season (a title they have held since records began in 2014/15). West Ham matches often see tensions flare, with public disorder accounting for 126 arrests. Adding to that, the club's fans also top the charts for missile-throwing incidents, with 47 arrests linked to objects being hurled onto the pitch.
1 England
Football-related arrests: 636
In what may surprise some, England football fans are by far the worst behaved. They are responsible for 636 football-related arrests over the past five seasons – which is just over double the next-closest fanbase and accounts for 7.71% of all football fan arrests.
You can't help but wonder if all the ill-disciplined fans of other clubs come together for international football just to let off some steam. It seems as though high-stakes games often contribute to misconduct, with public disorder accounting for the highest number of arrests at England games (443) and violent disorder being the second most common (111 arrests). Other crimes include criminal damage with 31 arrests, 26 alcohol offences and 10 arrests for possession of pyrotechnics.
Boosting the number of arrests were the unsavoury scenes in the final of Euro 2020 when England lost to Italy. This was the single fixture that has seen the most arrests (39) at any game in the past five years. With COVID restrictions allowing for some empty seats, about 2,000 people entered Wembley Stadium illegally as they tried to sneak in to watch the action. On the 11th of July 2021, 17 individuals were arrested for violent disorder, 12 for public disorder, 7 for criminal damage, 2 with alcohol offences and 1 for possession of an offensive weapon.
All data provided by SeatPick- correct as of 20/03/25