Football disorder has reached worrying levels with matchday arrests in England and Wales hitting a nine-year high. As football fans rush to secure matchday tickets, the thrill of live football often overshadows the risks lurking in the stands. For local Brightonians luckily when they play v rival Palace it is only 18th most dangerous on the list
But which football games pose the greatest danger?
Experts at SeatPick have crunched the numbers from the 2019/20 to 2023/24 seasons, revealing which matches have seen the most arrests, and there are a few surprises!
Study highlights:
- Brighton vs Crystal Palace is now the 18th most dangerous fixture in the UK to attend with a total of 34 arrests over the past 5 seasons. Not much
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Manchester City vs Manchester United and Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur have the highest number of matchday arrests (65) between the 2019/20 and 2023/24 seasons.
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Chelsea fixtures appear four times within the top 10 ranking – more than any other club.
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Premier League matches are responsible for the highest number of football arrests in the UK, with the top 5 dominated by Premier League games.
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Aston Villa vs Legia Warsaw made the top 10 – with 46 arrests occurring at one game
The most dangerous football games to attend in the UK
|
Rank
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|
Football match |
Total number of arrests between 19/20 –23/24 seasons |
|
=1 |
Manchester City vs Manchester United |
65 |
|
=1 |
Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur |
65 |
|
3 |
Chelsea vs Liverpool |
57 |
|
4 |
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur |
56 |
|
5 |
Chelsea vs Manchester City |
52 |
|
6 |
Aston Villa vs Legia Warsaw |
46 |
|
7 |
Cambridge United vs Peterborough United |
44 |
|
8 |
Liverpool vs Manchester City |
43 |
|
=9 |
Chelsea vs West Ham United |
40 |
|
=9 |
Bolton Wanderers vs Wigan Athletic |
40 |
|
=11 |
West Bromwich Albion vs Wolverhampton Wanderers |
39 |
|
=11 |
England vs Italy |
39 |
|
=13 |
England vs France |
37 |
|
=13 |
Burnley vs Newcastle United |
37 |
|
=15 |
Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur |
36 |
|
=15 |
Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United |
36 |
|
17 |
Oxford United vs Reading |
35 |
|
=18 |
Brighton vs Crystal Palace |
34 |
|
=18 |
Everton vs Liverpool |
34 |
|
=18 |
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur |
34 |
Full dataset available here
Lower league and less expected derbies appear
The data from SeatPick highlights how lower-league derbies can be just as intense as top-flight clashes, with Cambridge United vs Peterborough United (44 arrests) and Bolton Wanderers vs Wigan Athletic (40 arrests) ranking higher than some Premier League fixtures. Whether it’s local bragging rights or years of pent-up frustration, these games show just as much feist as in the Premier League.
Manchester and North London Derbies top list of most dangerous UK football matches
It’s no surprise that the Manchester Derby (Manchester City vs Manchester United) and the North London Derby (Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur) top the list, each racking up 65 arrests over the past five seasons – averaging 13 per season. In Manchester, public disorder is the most common offense (21 arrests), while North London sees a more aggressive approach, with 39 arrests for violent disorder. With the Manchester Derby kicking off on 6th April, let’s hope this edition is remembered for the football, and not the flares.
4 out of the top 10 most arrest-filled matches include Chelsea
Chelsea games are proving to be more than just heated battles on the pitch, with The Blues featuring in four of the top 10 most arrest-heavy matches. Their clashes against Liverpool (57 arrests), Tottenham (56 arrests), and Manchester City (52 arrests) show just how much tension follows them. The upcoming Chelsea v Spurs game on 3rd April has historically been a hotspot for public disorder (27 arrests) and violent clashes (18 arrests) – so let’s hope the debates stay in the pub, rather than the stands.
Aston Villa vs Legia Warsaw single match saw enough arrests to break into top 10
Most games on this list have built up their arrests over five seasons, however Aston Villa vs Legia Warsaw secured its place in the top 10 from a single Europa Conference League match last November. A ticketing dispute led to chaos outside Villa Park, with all 46 arrests being Legia Warsaw fans, though 39 charges have since been dropped.
