BBC News Online: UK

Football violence on the rise

The National Criminal Intelligence Service's (NCIS) annual report shows 3,391 people were arrested for football-related offences last season - up 8.1% on the previous year.

It found there has been a shift in the focus of the violence, with the vast majority of incidents occurring away from the matches themselves.

Hooligans are becoming more organised, using mobile phones and the internet to communicate with each other.

And many are involved in organised crime ranging from drug trafficking to counterfeit goods trading.

Click here to see arrests by Premiership club

NCIS said there were 3,391 arrests for domestic league games in England and Wales in the 2000-01 season, compared with 3,138 in 1999-2000.

There were also more than 750 arrests in domestic and European club competitions and England and Wales international matches.

NCIS said that although violence inside all-seater stadiums is virtually non-existent, the problem has shifted to areas such as train stations, pubs and town centres.

"There is a nasty, ugly and anti-social element in society that clings parasitically to football and just won't give up," said Brian Drew, head of specialist operations at NCIS.

"What became the English disease is no longer characterised by the mass terrace affrays and running streets battles that we saw in the 1970s and 1980s.

"But like other infections, new strains of football hooliganism are developing that are clever, resilient and increasingly resistant."

More than 518 people had been banned from visiting football matches at home or abroad under that legislation.

But he said he would like to see police and magistrates make more rigorous use of their powers.

"[The Act] confers a discretionary power on the court to impose additional requirements when imposing a banning order."

Mr Drew also called for more of the money made from football itself to be pumped into policing costs away from grounds.

"With the spread of pay-per-view TV, and TV dictating when certain matches are played, such as with an evening kick-off when people have been drinking all day, there is a lot of money in football which police forces would benefit from accessing," he said.

But Football Association spokesman Paul Newman greeted this with a cautious response.

He pointed out that the FA had replaced the England Members' Club - the official supporters' club - with a new organisation called englandfans in an attempt to crack down on hooliganism.

Members had to reapply and be closely vetted. Mr Newman said 4,000 people had been screened so far and 100 expelled, while another 100 were referred to a panel to decide.

Fans' club The Football Supporters' Association said the overall trend for football-related violence is down.

"I certainly feel much safer going to a football ground these days than I did in those days."