Hooliganism on the decline as arrests hit record low

ARRESTS for football-related disorder in England and Wales hit a record low last season, official figures showed yesterday, raising hopes the “English disease” of hooliganism is now firmly in the past.

Despite being credited as the home of “the beautiful game“, English football suffered for years from violence between rival fans.

But in the 2010/2011 season, arrests were down 9% to 3,089, the lowest figure since records began 27 years ago, according to statistics released by Britain’s interior ministry.

There was an average of just one arrest per match, with no arrests at 70% of games, according to the figures for detentions of English and Welsh fans at international and domestic matches.

“Football policing is a real British success story,” said crime prevention minister Oliver Eden. “This year’s record low arrest figures follow on from last year’s successful World Cup in South Africa, where nobody from this country was arrested.”

He urged England fans to continue their good behaviour at Euro 2012.