With the new season around the corner, Manchester United’s off-field issues are again drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.
Ruben Amorim’s side has been pushing hard in pre-season, preparing for a campaign where improvement will be expected across all fronts.
While transfer speculation continues to swirl around Old Trafford, it’s the fanbase now making the headlines.
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Despite on-pitch ambitions to return to former glories, the Red Devils have found themselves in the spotlight due to troubling figures from the stands.
The Home Office has released its annual report on football-related arrests, and Manchester United supporters topped the list for arrests in England and Wales during the 2024/25 season.
A total of 121 United fans were arrested throughout the campaign, more than any other club, overtaking Manchester City (94) and West Ham (77).
This marks a change from the previous three seasons, where West Ham supporters had led the arrests tally.
What’s more concerning is that 49% of these arrests occurred at Old Trafford, with 34 of them linked to public or violent disorder.
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The overall number of football-related arrests across all clubs dropped by 11% to 1,932, signalling the first decline since fans returned post-Covid, but United’s figures still stand out.
The most common reason for arrest was public disorder, accounting for 32% of cases, while arrests for Class A drug possession rose to 19% – the highest since it became a Schedule 1 offence in late 2022.
The number of matches with reported incidents increased by 18%, from 1,341 to 1,583 across the leagues.
Manchester United also ranked second for banning orders in force as of 1 June 2025, with 108 fans prohibited from attending matches – up from 89 the previous season.
Only West Ham had more, climbing from 93 to 112, while Chelsea jumped from 54 to 80.
The most common matchday incidents involved hate crime, reported at 420 matches – a record high since data collection began in 2017.
These included 287 racial abuse cases, 140 related to sexual orientation, and others linked to religion, disability, and gender identity.
Online hate crime reports dropped from 322 to 212 but remain a serious concern across the football community.
It seems to be that both the fans and players are replicating each other’s bad behaviour.
Back in May, Alejandro Garnacho was caught on camera showing his middle finger to a fan while on post-season duty with Manchester United.
The rise in football-related arrests emphasises the need for stronger measures to curb fan misconduct across the Premier League.
