Football banning orders issued in relation to matches in England and Wales have increased notably in the first half of the current season compared to the same period last season, according to new police figures. Data released by the UK Football Policing Unit on Thursday showed there were 343 banning orders issued between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022, an increase of 230 per cent compared to the same period in the 2021-22 campaign.
The huge increase in banning orders is seen by police chiefs as evidence of the “positive action” that officers and the Crown Prosecution Service are taking to tackle the problems behind football disorder, which is still described as being at “worrying” levels. From November 10 last year, anyone convicted of either possessing or supplying class A drugs at a regulated game could be made subject to a banning order.
There were 999 football-related arrests in the period covered by the data, an 11 per cent increase on the first half of 2021-22. Reported incidents at matches were down 19 per cent to 661, but that still represented the second-highest mid-season figure on record.
