Manchester United Supporters Trust vice-chair Ian Stirling says Home Office figures that place the club top of the league for arrests at football matches paint the wrong picture of fans.
Last season, over a hundred United fans were apprehended at the football, with the majority of those at Old Trafford matches.
Things aren’t much better at Man City either, who came second in the arrests league, which MUST’s Stirling doesn’t think are an accurate portrayal.
“The issue is alcohol offences. What we should be concerned about is any kind of violent disorder, and even for those figures, you’re looking at thirteen arrests at Old Trafford,” he told Mancunian Matters.
“When you consider nearly two million people go there each season, I’d be more concerned about going to Ascot than I would be Old Trafford.”
Of the 112 arrests for Man United fans in 2013-14, 65 came for alcohol offences, 19 for public disorder and 13 for violent disorder.
Alcohol offences also made up a sizeable portion of arrests for City supporters, 29 out of their total of 71, which Mr Stirling felt victimised football-goers.
“It’s very easy to say someone’s in breach of alcohol offences when they put in a restriction zone to stop people drinking,” he said.
“There’s a natural discrimination against football supporters, if they were watching cricket or rugby, they could drink.
“As soon as they’re labelled as football supporters, they can’t drink. That shouldn’t be the way.
“It’s self-serving, it’s about increasing police numbers and the costs of policing on matchdays where in the majority of cases it really isn’t needed.”
Manchester’s two footballing powerhouses were further down the table when it came to football banning orders.
United (61) and City fans (45) were well behind Newcastle United’s total of 127 banning orders last season.
Between them, United and City fans picked up thirteen arrests for possession of fireworks or flares, five for ticket touting and four for throwing missiles.
However, neither set of supporters saw an arrest for racist or indecent chanting.
Elsewhere, Bolton had 26 arrests last season, Oldham 15, Bury nine and Rochdale four.
Main image courtesy of BBC via YouTube, with thanks.
