September 19, 2019 4.19 pm This story is over 67 months old

Grimsby second worst for football banning orders, says new report

The club has issued a statement

Grimsby said "only four of the 55 persons currently subject of a court banning order actually relate to any issue at Blundell Park". Photo: Grimsby Town Football Club

Grimsby Town Football Club is ranked second highest for the number of football banning orders in place in 2018/19.

The Home Office recently released statistics on football-related arrests and banning orders for England and Wales for the 2018/19 season.

Grimsby was joint fifth with 50 football banning orders in the 2017/18 season and in the latest figures this rose to 61 being in place last season (2018/19).

This put the Mariners second behind Newcastle, who stayed top of the list with 71 banning orders, although this is a reduction from the 79 recorded by the Magpies in the 2017/18 season.

Birmingham City were third in the list with 57. Sheffield United and West Ham United joint fourth with 54. According to the report Stoke City (46) and Port Vale (31) supporters were issued the highest number of new football banning orders in the 2018/19 season.

In a statement issued by Grimsby Town FC the club pointed out that most of the incidents occurred away from their stadium Blundell Park. The club said only four of the people currently subject of a court banning order relate to any issue at their ground.

The statement read: “Grimsby Town Football Club is a family club where there is unfortunately 55 bans linked to our great club.

“It is worth noting that only four of the 55 persons currently subject of a court banning order actually relate to any issue at Blundell Park, with two of these as a result of a pitch encroachment.

“The other 51 active court banning orders are from incidents away from the stadium, where they have been pursued by the relevant police authorities and not by the club.

“A number of those banned have also not seen the inside of Blundell Park for a substantial period of time – if at all – and are most definitely not considered to be supporters. They are opportunists who have used football as a means of engaging in disorder.”

As of August 1, 2019, 1,771 football banning orders were in force in England and Wales, which is a decrease of 3% compared with those as at August 1, 2018. There has been a steady decline in football banning orders in force since 2011.

Click here to read the Home Office’s full report.