The costs of policing Manchester United and Manchester City home games have exceeded the £2.5million mark, according to new figures.
Greater Manchester Police billed United £1,393,533.97 last season – almost double the costs for 2021/2022.
City, meanwhile, were charged £1,258,141.27 by GMP during their treble-winning campaign as the costs of policing football matches in Manchester broke new ground.
It is thought to be the first time the combined bill has topped £2.5m.
The data – obtained from a Freedom of Information request – show a significant rise on previous seasons, and are higher than many other well-supported Premier League clubs are charged by other police forces.
Last term, for example, Merseyside Police charged Liverpool £671,809 and Everton £453,647, according to another FOI.
And Newcastle United were only charged £282,624 in 2022/2023 – more than £1m less than both City and United each paid to GMP.
The figures from GMP cover the last four years and include the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to restrictions being imposed on spectator-attendance at football matches across the country.
United also saw a rise in protests against the Glazer family’s controversial ownership of the club – leading to several matchday disturbances and police intervention.
In the Covid-impacted 2020/2021 season, GMP billed the Red Devils £332,521.52 – despite fans not being allowed to attend games. This figure includes the postponed match between United and Liverpool in May 2021, when two GMP officers were wounded as a 100-strong group stormed Old Trafford.
During the same season, City were billed £99,721.72.
The cost of policing the current Champions League holders’ matches exceeded United’s in two recent seasons – City were invoiced £571,998.54 in 2019/2020 and £919,460.45 in 2021/2022 by GMP.
The Old Trafford club, in comparison, were charged £521,433.31 and £698,867.81 for each respective term.
GMP has been contacted for comment.
Talking to the Price of Football podcast last month, Chief Constable Mark Roberts – the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s footballing policing lead – said: “The Manchester clubs were really good to deal with. When it came to a question of safety – and I think this is still the case there – they get safety, so you don’t end up in stupid arguments about bits of cash.
“The amount… of money policing spends on facilitating football clubs doing their business is pretty miniscule, really.
“We estimate that the cost in services given to football clubs during the last year was £71m. We actually recovered £13.8m.
“If you look at the sums being spent today on transfer deadline day, what are you going to get for £13.8m? Football got policing at every match, all year, (in) every competition.”
Under current rules, clubs are only obliged to pay policing costs concerning the grounds of the stadium and on their land, leading to the taxpayer having to pick up large chunks of the bill for some clubs.
Featured image credit: DPP Law via Flickr
This article first featured in the Manchester Evening News
