Leeds United fans arrested and banned last season as football-related crime on rise

Leeds United fans have seen a spike in arrests for football-related offences last season, according to the latest figures.

The Home Office has recently revealed the number of football-related arrests during the 2024-25 season, as well as the tally of football banning orders currently active. Leeds United’s following saw 36 supporters arrested this past season, marking an increase from 23 the previous year.

Across England and Wales, there were 1,932 football-related arrests made in the 2024-25 season, which actually represents an 11 per cent decrease from the year before. This downturn is the first since spectators made their way back to stadiums post-Covid-19 restrictions.

Topping the arrest chart, Manchester United fans led with 121 arrests. As of June 1, there were 2,439 banning orders in effect, the highest figure since the close of the 2012-13 season.

Leeds United had 44 bans against its fans last month, while West Ham United topped the list with the most supporters under a banning order at 112 by the end of the last campaign.

Banning orders serve to bar individuals from attending matches within the UK, and those under such orders may also be required to surrender their passports to the police ahead of international fixtures and tournaments.

Additionally, the data highlighted hate crime as the most frequently reported incident at 420 matches, including six women’s games.

This comes amid revelations from England defender Jess Carter about experiencing “a lot of racial abuse” during Euro 2025. In a candid post on X, she announced her intention to take a break from social media, stating: “Hopefully speaking out will make the people writing this abuse think twice so that other won’t have to deal with it.”

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham revealed that the organisation “immediately contacted UK police” upon learning of the abuse.

Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination charity, released a statement saying: “Hate crime continues to be a blight on football and, although there have been significant strides to make football more welcoming, these figures show that football cannot be complacent and needs to double down on its efforts to ensure everyone feels safe at matches.

“As we have seen in recent incidents over the past week, racism is still a huge issue as players continue to be targeted.

“Homophobic chanting is a regular occurrence, while incidents related to faith, disability and transphobia continue to be reported to Kick It Out, too. We also know about the prevalence of sexist behaviour, with our own research showing that over half of women have experienced it on matchdays.”

Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “Police up and down the country work incredibly hard to ensure football stadiums are safe, so we can all enjoy our national game.

“Today’s statistics show that these efforts are paying off and strong action is being taken to stop violence and disorder from ruining football.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we are continuing to make football safer for the millions of dedicated fans, funding the UK Football Policing Unit and expanding drug testing on arrest at football matches for certain offences.”

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