HC Deb 19 December 1988 vol 144 cc55-7W
Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list English League football clubs together with the following information for each of them during the 1987–88 season: the number of matches played at their grounds, the total season's attendance, the total arrests in association with such matches, the average

First division
Club Matches Total attendance Total arrests Average attendance per match Average arrests per match Arrests as a proportion of attendance (per cent)
Arsenal 20 598,059 153 29,903 7.65 0.03
Charlton 20 173,629 14 8,682 0.70 0.01
Chelsea 20 408,538 271 20,427 13.55 0.07
Coventry 20 350,165 194 17,508 9.70 0.06
Derby County 20 343,107 86 17,155 4.30 0.03
Everton 20 555,692 24 27,785 1.20 0.004
Liverpool 20 791,977 33 39,599 1.65 0.004
Luton 20 161,884 1 8,094 0.05 0.0006
Manchester United 20 783,099 38 39,155 1.90 0.005
Newcastle United 20 419,742 149 20,987 7.45 0.04
Norwich 20 313,904 32 15,695 1.60 0.01
Nottingham Forest 20 384,648 130 19,232 6.50 0.03
Oxford United 20 218,632 105 10,931 5.25 0.05
Portsmouth 20 324,780 282 16,239 14.10 0.09
Queens Park Rangers 20 265,813 91 13,290 4.55 0.03
Sheffield Wednesday 20 395,519 90 19,776 4.50 0.02
Southampton 20 290,617 208 14,531 10.40 0.07
Tottenham Hotspur 20 517,970 74 25,899 3.70 0.01
Watford 20 291,464 43 14,573 2.15 0.03
Wimbledon 20 159,691 49 7,985 2.45 0.03
West Ham 20 396,473 149 19,824 7.45 0.04

2nd Division
Club Matches Total attendance Total arrests Average attendance per match Average arrests per match Arrests as a proportion of attendance (per cent)
Aston Villa 22 403,836 308 18,356 14.00 0.08
Barnsley 22 168,339 55 7,652 2.50 0.03
Birmingham 22 188,722 101 8,578 4.59 0.05
Blackburn 22 211,120 79 9,596 3.60 0.04
Bournemouth 22 168,757 149 7,671 6.77 0.09
Bradford City 22 285,509 197 12,978 8.96 0.07
Crystal Palace 22 215,496 78 9,795 3.55 0.04
Huddersfield 22 150,334 126 6,833 5.73 0.08
Hull City 22 157,507 38 7,159 1.73 0.02
Ipswich 22 258,037 99 11,729 4.50 0.04
Leeds United 22 443,094 184 20,141 8.36 0.04
Leicester City 22 223,049 81 10,139 3.68 0.04
Manchester City 22 428,655 35 19,484 1.59 0.01
Middlesbrough 22 321,219 110 14,601 5.00 0.03
Millwall 22 185,165 44 8,417 2.00 0.02
Oldham Athletic 22 147,995 19 6,727 0.86 0.01
Plymouth 22 226,152 29 10,280 1.32 0.01
Reading 22 150,352 20 6,834 0.91 0.01
Sheffield United 22 223,960 60 10,180 2.73 0.03
Shrewsbury 22 108,202 68 4,918 3.10 0.06
Stoke City 22 211,234 57 9,602 2.59 0.03

attendance per match, the average number of arrests per match and the arrests as a proportion of the attendance; and if he will make a statement about the numbers of charges and convictions which have arisen from such arrests.

Mr. Moynihan

The information that follows relates to Football League matches played in the 1987–88 season. The figures on the matches played, total attendances, and total arrests have been collected by the Association of Chief Police Officers. Comparable figures are not available for charges nor for convictions arising from the arrests.

In addition to those arrested at Football League grounds in the 1987–88 season, 6,542 were ejected from the grounds. Clearly, neither the ejections nor arrests reflect the substantially greater number of incidents of violence, hooliganism and vandalism at Football League grounds. Furthermore, the police view remains that many matches provide the focus for aggressive and provocative behaviour with violence never far below the surface.

Club Matches Total attendance Total arrests Average attendance per match Average arrests per match Arrests as a proportion of attendance (Per cent.)
Swindon 22 209,800 67 9,536 3.05 0.03
West Bromwich 22 222,261 132 10,103 6.00 0.06

3rd Division
Club Matches Total attendance Total arrests Average attendance per match Average arrests per match Arrests as a proportion of attendance (Per cent.)
Aldershot 23 70,642 39 3,071 1.7 0.06
Blackpool 23 96,935 36 4,214 1.6 0.04
Brentford 23 105,430 72 4,583 3.1 0.07
Brighton and Hove Albion 23 205,263 34 8,924 1.5 0.02
Bristol City 23 225,861 21 9,820 0.9 0.01
Bristol Rovers 23 84,753 18 3,684 0.8 0.02
Bury 23 58,997 5 2,565 0.2 0.01
Chester City 23 58,967 22 2,563 0.96 0.04
Chesterfield 23 61,239 21 2,662 0.91 0.03
Doncaster Rovers 23 3,223 28 1,879 1.2 0.06
Fulham 23 116,454 99 5,063 4.3 0.09
Gillingham 23 106,260 32 4,620 1.4 0.03
Grimsby Town 23 76,541 66 3,327 2.9 0.09
Mansfield Town 23 90,894 21 3,951 0.9 0.02
Northampton Town 23 126,578 11 5,503 0.5 0.01
Notts County 23 144,824 56 6,296 2.4 0.04
Port Vale 23 88,126 22 3,831 0.96 0.02
Preston North End 23 139,998 20 6,086 0.9 0.01
Rotherham United 23 84,107 47 3,656 2.0 0.05
Southampton United 23 79,320 3 3,448 0.1 0.004
Sunderland 23 400,760 80 17,424 3.5 0.02
Walsall 23 128,153 47 5,571 2.0 0.04
Wigan Athletic 23 86,776 4 3,772 0.17 0.01
York City 23 62,902 62 2,734 2.7 0.10

4th Division
Club Matches Total attendance Total arrests Average attendance per match Average arrests per match Arrests as a proportion of attendance (Per cent.)
Bolton Wanderers 23 114,778 21 4,990 0.9 0.02
Burnley 23 144,770 90 6,294 3.9 0.06
Cambridge United 23 52,896 29 2,299 1.3 0.05
Cardiff City 23 101,752 43 4,424 1.9 0.04
Carlisle United 23 51,282 27 2,229 1.2 0.05
Colchester United 23 40,607 1,766
Crewe Alexandra 23 51,828 21 2,253 0.9 0.04
Darlington 23 50,374 5 2,190 0.2 0.01
Exeter City 23 56,264 83 2,446 3.6 0.15
Halifax Town 23 39,358 38 1,711 1.7 0.10
Hartlepool United 23 48,972 12 2,129 0.5 0.02
Hereford United 23 50,712 28 2,205 1.2 0.06
Newport 23 40,261 35 1,750 1.5 0.09
Leyton Orient 23 90,322 8 3,927 0.3 0.01
Peterborough United 23 71,881 15 3,125 0.7 0.02
Rochdale 23 44,903 32 1,952 1.4 0.07
Scarborough 23 70,504 146 3,065 6.3 0.21
Scunthorpe 23 74,405 46 3,235 2.0 0.06
Stockport 23 52,154 17 2,268 0.7 0.03
Swansea 23 100,957 10 4,389 0.4 0.01
Torquay United 23 67,434 21 2,932 0.9 0.03
Tranmere Rovers 23 76,847 53 3,341 2.3 0.07
Wolverhampton Wanderers 23 226,964 32 9,868 5.7 0.06
Wrexham 23 51,539 17 2,241 0.7 0.03