Clubs face renewed pressure over football policing costs

Football clubs are being pressed to pay more toward match-day policing after UK football policing lead Mark Roberts said taxpayers covered £70m in costs during the 2025-26 season. His concern centres on the current model, under which clubs are not charged for policing outside stadium grounds.

Home Office figures cited in the report show incidents were recorded at 1,644 matches in England and Wales, the highest level since UKFPU data collection began in 2017-18. High-severity incidents also rose to 159, compared with 106 the previous season.

The wider picture is more mixed. Football-related arrests and other police actions fell to 1,963, while violent disorder incidents dropped 17% year on year, from 444 to 368. Professor Geoff Pearson of the University of Manchester suggested the rise in reported incidents may partly reflect better recording, rather than a simple deterioration in fan behaviour.

Online abuse remains a notable concern, with 405 football-linked online hate crime and abuse incidents recorded, up from 234. The figures leave editors and supporters with a policy question as much as a safety one: how should responsibility be shared between clubs, police and the public when football’s impact extends beyond the turnstiles?