Football disorder hits record high as match incidents reach 1,644

Disorder was reported at 1,644 football matches across England and Wales last season — the highest figure since the UK Football Policing Unit began collecting data in 2017-18. Home Office statistics published on 23 July 2026 show 159 incidents were classed as "high severity," up from 106. Total arrests fell to 1,963, down from 2,004.