Is hooliganism on the increase?

A national report has revealed the number of arrests made at football games increased last season, with hooliganism more likely to occur away from stadia.

Do your experiences reflect the figures?

A report by the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) has revealed arrests for football hooliganism in England and Wales were up 8% last season.

It also showed that while violence inside stadiums is rare, the problem has moved to areas such as pubs and train stations.

The Football Supporter's Association (FSA), however, has stessed that the overall trend for football-related violence is down.

Although the general concensus is that there has been a huge improvement from the situation in the 1970s and 1980s, the NCIS figures are sure to reopen the debate on football hooliganism.

Is a day out at football a threatening affair? Or are the findings alarmist?

Send us your thoughts.

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Some of the comments made are simply laughable. I mean, national service? How old are you? Jay and M Keegan's comments are the only sensible replies on here. Football violence has never gone away. Sure the days of 500 strong firms chasing each other around city centres is no more, but there has and always will be a hardcore of 50-100 boys who want to kick off. I have been going for 22 years now, as well as following England home and away, and I am sick and tired of all this brow-beating before the start of every season and every major European game.

The press pillory the "hooligans" for their actions, but are all too happy to justify their own salaries by printing salacious reports and in a lot of cases, paying people to throw the first bottle/punch, whatever. This phenomenon I have witnessed in Rotterdam, Turin, Marseilles and Paris. Due to the influx of middle-class rugby fans, football has lost 90% of the reason why I got into it in the first place, the intensity!
THFC, London

My club, Newcastle, are top of the hooligan 'bad boys' list. Yet how many of those 191 arrests were as a result of the 5.15 kick off away at Sunderland? The game was put back to a ridiculous late time so that it could be shown on televiesion, thus encouraging both sets of supporters (Sunderland are second in the league table) to drink for an extended period beyond that of a regular match. With the history between the clubs it was a recipe for disaster, and so the statistics prove it. Some blame must be passed to the kick off time.
Anon, England

It may be football's problem but it is not a problem caused by football. If all football in the country was banned the violence would not stop. In the USA the same violence occurs, but between different neighbourhoods. In the past we had Mods and Rockers, whose fight's were just as well publicised as those of football fans now. The problem isn't how to get hooliganism out of football, it is how to get hooliganism out of society.
Phil, England

I think it is really a sign of the deeper problems in British daily life

Andrew Stack, USA

As a younger man, I got mixed up with the whole soccer violence scene. For me, it was a "glamour" situation, the whole fashion and identity, was a revelation to a young man just embarking on the real world. It provided a sense of belonging, not unlike a public school educated fella who joins some gentleman's club. But the reality of this sort of culture is very disturbing and in some cases grotesque violence takes place, that cannot be excused. But I still feel the majority of younger people attracted to this lifestyle are really just going through a rites of passage, however hard that might be to any sensible and law abiding citizen.
Brett Franklin, England

Football hooligans have never been away from the game. Because the game has become commercial it is in the interests of the clubs to promote a middle-class image and deny hooliganism exsists.Try telling that to the police forces of Manchester, Cardiff, Stoke and London
Craig, England

I can't really say, but I've been to baseball games and never had a problem. I don't think it's soccer or the fans. Baseball fans are hardcore and don't seem to get into trouble. I think it is really a sign of the deeper problems in British daily life - overcrowding, high unemployment, high taxes and a sense of total frustration. We tend to have hooliganism at social events - mardi gras, music festivals etc.
Andrew Stack, USA

The "worst" offenders, Newcastle, had 40 arrests in and around the ground ALL SEASON (as opposed to "in the area"), out of 1m fans who attended games. I suspect more than 40 people are arrested every Saturday night in any medium sized town anywhere in the UK. Rather than hammering the football clubs, perhaps this suggests a slightly wider problem.
Mark, Scotland

If these people want to fight with each other then let them

M Keegan, England

R Smith has suggested a brilliant solution to the whole problem. I can picture the scene now following two years of National Service. Our hooligans would no longer be the shambolic disgrace that shame us as a nation. Instead they would be fit, well turned out, disciplined, tactically aware, supremely well organised and capable of improvising more effective weaponry. In short, they'd be world class and more than a match for the Police.
James Crosby, Telford, England

Shock, horror, football violence is on the increase. The attention that this story has received from the media just goes to show how far removed from reality you people are. Wake up! I myself am not into footbal violence but am fully aware of it, when it happens and with whom. If I wanted to become involved it wouldn't take much effort to introduce myself. The sterile, sanitised image of the Premier League is just that. An image portrayed by the money men who are hell bent on screwing our national game for all they can.
Big M, Sheffield, UK

A day out at a football match is not a threatening affair. Since the last decade the violence now takes place away from stadiums and in areas without CCTV. As a true fan (and not a thug) sticking to these areas allows me to enjoy the match and avoid the violence. However, it's not about football violence, but regional riots. These people aren't there for the love of the game but for the love of a fight...to associate them with football does a disservice to the sport.
Jay, Wales

If these people want to fight with each other then let them. It saves innocent people from being caught up which is what used to happen a great deal. I'm not condoning football violence, but not only have the powers that be almost eradicated the hooliganism from the grounds they've nearly eradicated the excitement too.
M Keegan, England

Sure, the thugs exist, but they cause little problems to ordinary people

D Buckingham, England

I notice there are no figures for convictions. Of the 945 arrested in Euro 2000, only one was convicted and without the right to a defence. It's simply down to the Police feeding the usual media frenzy on football hooliganism. The Police need to justify their expenditure and presence at football, and what better way to do it than by presenting the myth of marauding hooligans. 99% of fans go to games without experiencing any violence. Sure, the thugs exist, but they cause little problems to ordinary people. It's time for the media to get some perspective when reporting on football fans.
D Buckingham, England

The issue is one of the displaced anger and frustration of years of class oppression which has led to the institutionalised self hatred of an excluded minority. Solve this and you solve football violence, and much else besides.
Geoffrey Cordell, UK

This is a long term issue to solve and the UK hasn't even begun! It starts with the four year olds in school. They have to be raised understanding respect for society, property and other people. Yes, this sounds "old fashioned", but look at the result of allowing standards to slide. The problem is nothing to do with football. It's been there for years. In the fifties it was "Teddy Boys", the sixties had "Mods and Rockers" and today we have the football hooligan.

If society wants orderly youth then it must work at it and it takes time and leadership by government. The US has some terrible crimes which draw the headlines, but in general the youth here are good, with no "yobs" in everyday communities. But then schools start each day with the Pledge of Allegiance as the flag is raised: a good start to respecting the country and community. So UK, what are you waiting for? "Here we go, here we go, here we go....".
Rodd Garr, USA (Ex-Brit)

I suspect this announcement of a 'new breed'of hooligan is as much to justify the NCIS budget as anything else

Paul Marsh, England

Oddly these stories seem to appear, courtesy of the police, just before the start of every football season! My own experience is that there is far less violence at football than previously and I've been going to a major Premier League ground for over 20 years.

Despite this, the number of police officers and stewards only ever seems to increase! I suspect this announcement of a 'new breed'of hooligan is as much to justify the NCIS budget as anything else.
Paul Marsh, England

The recent action taken to ban away fans at Maine Road and The Den will only assist in escalating violence. Both sets of fans will travel to the games despite the ban and meet at some point. It is far better to let them travel to the match under strict escort. Regarding the trouble away from grounds, isn't this just people in football shirts and actually nothing to do with football. If they were wearing cricket sweaters would it be cricket violence?
Colin Bird, England

If these so called fans are so set on fighting, how about making them serve a couple of years in the army? This would surely enable them to fulfil thier wishes.
R Smith, UK