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Manchester United fans top Premier League of shame for match-day arrests

Steve Robson

December 23, 2011

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Manchester United have finished top of a 'league of shame' for match-day arrests.

 

The champions had more fans held by police than any other team in the Premier League during last season – almost twice as many as second-placed Sunderland.

 

The figures, released by the Home Office show that the number of United supporters arrested rocketed from 165 in the 2009-10 season to 276 last year.

 

Some 117 fans were held at home games and 159 at away matches.

 

The vast majority of the arrests were for alcohol offences (127), followed by violent disorder (63), ticket touting (26), pitch invasions (20), public disorder (15) and possessing offensive weapons (11).

 

City joined United in the top four of the list - with 108 arrests last season.

 

Bolton had 52 fans arrested and Wigan 27.

 

Outside the top flight, Rochdale had seven arrests, Stockport five and Bury just one.

 

United said the figures should be seen in context of the fact Old Trafford had a bigger capacity than any other ground.

 

A club spokesman said: "These figures should be presented as a percentage of the stadium’s crowd, rather than as individual figures."

 

Mark Longden, from the independent Manchester United supporters association blamed the high number of arrests on 'over-zealous' policing at football grounds.

 

He said: "We're one of the very few teams that sells out their ticket allocation wherever we go.

 

"We all have our bad eggs but I think most sections of supporters are the same. The main issue is over-zealous policing.

 

"The way supporters are policed in general is conducive to getting arrested. The police release these figures every year which are designed to show football supporters to be hooligans carrying bricks and knives.

 

"It's in their interests to talk up the aggro."

 

Manchester City declined to comment.

 

The figures also showed that 23 fans were arrested in the Premier League for racist or indecent chanting – including two United fans.

 

Total number of arrests - home and away

Manchester United 276

Sunderland 126

Newcastle 123

Manchester City 108

Arsenal 107

Aston Villa 103

Birmingham City 74

Chelsea 74

Stoke City 70

West Ham 68

Liverpool 66

Bolton Wanderers 52

Wolves 50

Tottenham Hotspur 48

Everton 45

Blackburn Rovers 37

West Brom 35

Wigan Athletic 27

Blackpool 26

Fulham 12

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Our only criteria is that players should be have been born on or after January 1 1990 (yes, we feel old too). 

 

It's recreation of the Don Balon list which they normally do (no longer in publication) and which they've analysed last years list over the last couple of weeks.

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Man, so sad about Don Balón going under. Legendary magazine.

 

Good picks for Barça. Thiago and Cuenca are our U21s more likely to play a sizable role in the main squad this year.

 

Bojan still on the list, he seems to have been around forever hasn't he? That's probably been his main problem. Too much hype too early. Both Vadillo and Canales should be there, too.

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