Latics fans on best behaviour

THE number of Latics fans banned or arrested for bad behaviour has dropped by more than a quarter over the past year.

Figures released by the Home Office for the football season 2008-09, show 13 arrests compared with 18 in 2007-08. Three were at Boundary Park and 10 at away fixtures.

Seven supporters were arrested for alcohol offences, four for public-order crimes and one for violence. One fan was arrested for breaching a banning order.

The orders are civil measures, designed to make it easier to stop hooligans attending games without proving criminal behaviour beyond reasonable doubt. They can last from two to 10 years. There are 17 banning orders against Oldham fans.

Arrests at Manchester United fell from 188 to 185, with 91 at Old Trafford.

Seventy-six were for public-order offences, 69 alcohol-related, 16 for ticket touts, eight for violence, seven for fans going on to the pitch, six for vandalism, two for racism, and one for possessing a weapon. Seventy-four banning orders are in place.

There was also a fall in the number of arrests of Manchester City fans, down from 87 to 82. Forty-three were at home fixtures and 53 banning orders are in place.

Thirty-nine supporters were arrested for public-order offences, 26 were alcohol-related, 10 for violence, five for going on to the pitch, one for possessing a weapon and one for breaching a banning order.

Nationally 3,752 arrests were made at domestic and international matches in England and Wales last year, an average of 1.18 arrests per game. Arrests are down 2 per cent from the 2007-08 season.

Policing Minister David Hanson said: “Hooligans once blighted our national game, but we now set an example for the rest of the world in how we police football matches.”