Summary: Since 2019–20, the games in England and Wales with the highest number of supporter arrests have been identified.
Chelsea has four appearances in the top ten.
To take sixth place, one Aston Villa match was sufficient.
Although football is supposed to provide a family-friendly environment that is secure and open to everyone, it is well known that this isn’t always the case. There are many instances where things go wrong or become unmanageable, particularly when there are fierce rivalries.
The bottom line is that football games can occasionally be quite dangerous places to be, and it happens much too often for fans to be arrested. Even though the two teams have only played once during this time, the experts at SeatPick have managed to gather data from the 2019–20 season onwards to determine which games in England and Wales have resulted in the most fan arrests. One of these games has made the top 10.
Over the past five seasons, English teams have had the most pitch invasions.
Rank
Club
Arrest of Pitch Invaders
= 15.
Tottenham versus Southampton
36
= 15.
West Ham United versus Tottenham
36
= 13.
Newcastle United against Burnley
37
= 13.
France versus England
37
= 11.
Italy versus England
39
= 11.
Wolves vs. West Bromwich Albion
39
10Bolton vs Wigan Athletic
(=9) 40 fan arrests
We travel to Lancashire to watch the matches between Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic as we move up the table and farther north. As recently as 15 years ago, both teams were in the Premier League, but their most recent encounters have seen them compete in League One in what some could call the points deduction derby.
Since 2019, there have been seven meetings between the two groups, with 40 fans detained on average—5.7 per match. Given how many competitions the two have participated in, that might not be as bad, but it is still sufficient for them to be included on this list.
9Chelsea vs West Ham United
(=9) 40 fan arrests
It is not surprising to find West Ham supporters among the top 10 in any way, as they consistently rank among the most arrested in the majority of seasons. Their rivalry with Chelsea is so fierce that, aside from Millwall, you would think that when the Blues visit town, supporters would want to wreak havoc the most.
The close bond between the two groups of fans is also influenced by the transfers of Frank Lampard and Joe Cole, so it’s not just about location. Consequently, 40 arrests have also resulted from their gatherings within the past five years.
8Liverpool vs Manchester City
43 fan arrests
Twenty years ago, there wouldn’t have been much hostility between Manchester City and Liverpool because they were battling at opposite ends of the Premier League table. This is an example of how modern competitiveness can create rivalries that are just as intense as those that are based only on location.
However, these days, there is frequently very little separating the two teams, and as a result, the intensity of their matches against each other is at an all-time high. That’s not limited to the pitch, either, as supporters fervently defend their individual badges in an effort to win. Over the past five years, the two teams’ title-dependent clashes have resulted in 43 supporter arrests; possibly lockdown prevented that number from approaching 50.
7Cambridge United vs Peterborough United
44 fan arrests
The Cambridgeshire derby is arguably less well-known to neutrals, but supporters on the blue or amber side of the spectrum are well aware of how significant it is to supporters. Battles between Cambridge United and Peterborough United, which are both run by Sir Alex Ferguson’s son Darren, are frequently contested in the lower divisions of the English pyramid and can be fierce contests.
Even though it would not be considered a violent location, nine encounters between the two teams throughout the designated time frame have resulted in a total of 44 arrests during prior seasons.
6Aston Villa vs Legia Warsaw
46 fan arrests
Legia Warsaw has only visited Aston Villa once in their history, therefore this game stands out on this list. Despite their 2-1 loss on the field, they more than made their mark off it. All 46 of these occurred on November 30, 2023, however other teams higher in the standings may at least claim that the arrests were dispersed among several games.
After the fans’ unruly behaviour that fateful evening, the neighbourhood around Villa Park was left in utter wreckage. It takes some effort for there to be so much disturbance that it merits a spot on its own.
5Chelsea vs Manchester City
52 fan arrests
Some might call this the “moneybags match” because both Chelsea and City are prepared to spend a lot of money to improve their teams. It may be assumed that this would cause the match to lose some of its soul and passion on the pitch, yet it hasn’t happened at all.
They have played some exciting matches and even faced off in a Champions League final, despite the fact that City has been reliable and the Blues have been erratic over this time. But because of the huge stakes, there have been some significant repercussions, with over 50 percent of supporters being arrested after Premier League games.
4Chelsea vs Tottenham
56 fan arrests
Who can forget some of the recent, intense matches between Chelsea and Tottenham? There has undoubtedly been a lot of drama and hostility. Whether it was the famed ‘Battle of the Bridge,’ or Spurs losing to nine men in Ange Postecoglou’s first encounter with the match, these two are skilled at making each other seem like enemies.
It appears that the enthusiasm of the two groups of fans in the stadium is mostly responsible for this. 56 fans have been arrested during London outfit games since 2019–2020; 27 of these were for public disturbance, while 18 were for violent altercations. Even if the two teams are unable to qualify for the Premier League’s top divisions, this guarantees it a spot in the top four.
3Chelsea vs Liverpool
57 fan arrests
Chelsea is making their third consecutive appearance, and this time they will face Liverpool. Once more, the rivalry has developed over time due to the two teams’ competitive nature rather than geography. Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich were major contributors to its inception.
Years later, however, the rivalry between the two groups of supporters is still present, and up to 57 people have been arrested—a number only surpassed by two of the most significant derbies in English football.
2Arsenal vs Tottenham
(=1) 65 fan arrests
It should come as no surprise that the North London derby is at the top. The depth of the problems between Arsenal and Tottenham as they compete for dominance in the nation’s capital is well known. Because there aren’t many, if any, larger derbies in English football, there’s frequently chaos in the stands.
Since the 2019–20 season, a total of 65 arrests have been made, or 13 each campaign on average. However, sharing the rewards is necessary for this fixture to maintain its position at the top.
1Manchester United vs Manchester City
(=1) 65 fan arrests
Both groups of supporters have seen the other team dominate English and European football while they are forced to struggle in a city full of working-class people. It’s the Manchester derby, of course. After years of playing second fiddle, City’s supporters will undoubtedly boast about their transformation from noisy neighbours to the kingdom’s kings.
Even though United is going through one of the most trying times in its history, they still want to be matched on the pitch for excellence, or at the very least, passion. However, it isn’t most of the time, and that, along with the jubilant City fans, can spell disaster.
xz
