Merseyside clubs buck the trend as soccer arrests fall

Oct 19 2007 Rob Merrick Liverpool Daily Post

ARRESTS of Merseyside football supporters fell sharply last season, while hooliganism was on the rise again across the rest of the country.

New Home Office figures reveal that 162 of the region’s fans were detained at matches, compared with 192 in the season 2005-06 – a fall of 15.6%.

In sharp contrast, across England and Wales, arrests for football-related offences rose by 8% to 3,788, the first increase for four seasons.

Both the Merseyside giants saw the number of arrests decline, from 86 to 70 at Everton and from 83 to 64 at Liverpool.

But trouble was on the rise at Tranmere Rovers, where the number of fans detained rose from 13 to 19.

There is further evidence of declining football hooliganism in Merseyside in the falling number of banning orders issued last season.

The orders bar thugs jailed for football-related offences from any domestic or international match for up to 10 years, although the typical punishment is 2-5 years. Of the 29 orders issued in Merseyside – down from 40 in 2005-6 – 17 were at Anfield, home of Liverpool, and only eight at Goodison Park, Everton’s home ground.

The Anfield club also has the highest number of supporters with banning orders in place, including those carried from previous seasons – 64. The national rise in hooliganism included a 25% jump in arrests for public disorder, but the numbers detained for violent disorder fell from 358 to 337 last year, the lowest number on record.

Arrests for racist chanting fell from 55 to 41, while arrests for missile throwing rose from 68 to 97, the figures showed.

The Home Office insisted the overall rise reflected a “tougher police approach to anti-social and disorderly behaviour”.

Vernon Coaker, a Home Office minister, said: “We are determined to crack down on those who attempt to ruin the sport for all football fans.”

Leeds United again had the most banning orders (118).

Manchester United had the most arrests (195).