The figures for arrests during the Premier League across the last two seasons have been released – and no stadium has seen more arrests than Manchester United’s Old Trafford
Premier League giants Manchester United are finally back on top of the league – the league for bad behaviour!
The club’s old Trafford ground saw more arrests for crowd trouble than any other Premier League club. United accounts for 12 per cent of all arrests at the 20 Premier League grounds for alcohol-related offences, Class A drug offences, violent disorder offences and arrests for possessing flares or throwing them and for throwing missiles.
There were 75 arrests at Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground for all offences during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons compared to just seven at Brentford – the lowest in the league.
The arrest rate at United – who have the highest average crowd in the league – is more than double the league average of 31 per ground over the two seasons. Just last month (April) Manchester United fan Alfie Holt, 20, was arrested and charged at Old Trafford after slapping Manchester City player Jack Grealish. He has since been banned from the ground.
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There was a mass brawl in the Old Trafford stands in January (2025) when United beat Rangers in the Europa League and in March last year (2023) there was more brawling in during the Europa League tie with Spanish club Real Betis.
The club’s fans have had little to cheer about since its heyday under Sir Alex Ferguson when it won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League titles during his 26-year reign.
Successive managers since his retirement in 2013 including David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Erik ten Haag and current boss Ruben Amorim have failed to return success to the club on the pitch.
Even when they were riding high the club courted controversy when star player Eric Cantona pleaded guilty to assaulting a Crystal Palace fan in 1995 with a Kung Fu kick and a volley of punches after being sent off.
West Ham has the second worst record for trouble with 60 arrests followed by Manchester City in third place on 59 arrests, Arsenal fourth on 47 and Newcastle United fifth on 46.
Home Office figures for arrests for the two seasons were analysed by the betting tips subscription service TipMan Tips. Spokesman Fraser Bricknell said: “These figures show that criminal behaviour is a prevalent issue across all the Premier League clubs.
“They highlight the need for a police presence at football matches. The fear is however that many more people are getting away with criminal acts such as drug posession, carrying flares and throwing missiles at stadiums.”
Chelsea has the sixth worst record on 38 arrests followed by Everton in seventh place on 36, Spurs eighth on 31, Nottingham Forest ninth on 29 and Liverpool tenth on 28.
Leicester City came eleventh on 27 followed by Crystal Palace in twelfth place on 26 arrests, Aston Villa thirteenth on 23, Southampton fourteenth on 20 and Wolves fifteenth on 18.
Brighton came sixteenth on 16 arrests with Fulham seventeenth on 13, Ipswich eighteenth on 12, Bournemouth nineteenth on 10 and Brentford bottom of the table with just seven arrests – the lowest in the league.
Total number of arrests at Premier League grounds by club during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons for alcohol, pyrotechnic, missile, Class A drug, violence and missile-related offences:
Manchester United – 75
West Ham United – 60
Manchester City – 59
Arsenal – 47
Newcastle United – 46
Chelsea – 38
Everton – 36
Tottenham Hotspur – 31
Nottingham Forest – 29
Liverpool – 28
Leicester City – 27
Crystal Palace – 26
Aston Villa – 23
Southampton – 20
Wolverhampton Wanderers – 18
Brighton – 16
Fulham – 13
Ipswich – 12
Bournemouth – 10
Brentford – 7
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