?% Villa. The football hooligan is extinct - official.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Well not quite.

But apparently `Arrests for football-related disorder in England and Wales are at a record low, the Home Office has said.`

Just over 3,000 people were arrested at games involving English and Welsh teams last year, a drop of 9%.

The Home Office says the latest figures are a major success story with progress being made at both international and domestic levels of football.

The number of people under football banning orders has also fallen, down to 3,173 from 3,248 last year.

During last season, 3,089 people were arrested, a drop of 302 compared with the 2009/10 season.

This is the lowest figure since records began in the 1984/5 season and equates to an average of one arrest per match.

There were no arrests at 70% of games in the 2010/11 season, and only one English fan was arrested at the World Cup, after he confronted members of the England team following a match in Cape Town.

The Home Office said that football banning orders "continue to have a positive effect" a decade after their introduction.

Since 2000 about 92% of people whose orders have expired are assessed by police as no longer posing a risk of football disorder.

Crime Prevention Minister Lord Henley said: "Football policing is a real British success story. Where hooliganism was once described as 'the English disease', we now set an example for others to follow.

"But we are not complacent and we will expect to see England fans continue their good behaviour at next year's European Championships, where the eyes of the world will be on them once again."

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt, who leads on football policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "Over the past two decades the UK has made steady progress in reducing football-related violence and disorder.

"The service has worked hard with football clubs and football supporters' associations to ensure that genuine fans can attend games without incident and it's reassuring that the figures reflect that a very small minority of fans have come to police notice."

The number of those attending regulated matches in England and Wales reached 37 million last year, meaning those arrested represent less than 0.01% of that season's spectators.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16311308

[Kingthing]

But on the downside ecstasy is making a comeback.

[darren woolley]

Let's hope the hooligan element of the game will soon be extinct.

[villasjf]

82 Blues fans 61 Villa fans 55 Wolves fans in that list

[SashasGrandad]

There will be at lot less at Villa PArk this season without the unwashed!

[cdbearsfan]

That's no way to talk about BlackCountryVillain.

[TaxDodger]

Pwopa Norty.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Arrests
1. Villa - 103
2. Blues - 74
3. Wolves - 50
4. Albion - 35
5. Walsall - 1

Banning orders
1. Blues - 84
2. Villa - 63
3. Wolves - 52
4. Albion - 32
5. Walsall - 13

[Percy McCarthy]

There was a big mob of Villa in town on Friday looking for b-lose. However, b-lose are notoriously elusive these days.

[nuninho]

Arrests
1. Villa - 103
2. Blues - 74
3. Wolves - 50
4. Albion - 35
5. Walsall - 1

Banning orders
1. Blues - 84
2. Villa - 63
3. Wolves - 52
4. Albion - 32
5. Walsall - 13

Whats that as a % of attendances?  We have the bigger attendances so are bound to have higher figures.

[cdbearsfan]

There was a big mob of Villa in town on Friday looking for b-lose. However, b-lose are notoriously elusive these days.

Perhaps, like normal people, they were in the pub, at home or Christmas shopping rather than trying to act like twats?

[Chris Smith]

There was a big mob of Villa in town on Friday looking for b-lose. However, b-lose are notoriously elusive these days.

Last minute Christmas rucking.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Arrests
1. Villa - 103
2. Blues - 74
3. Wolves - 50
4. Albion - 35
5. Walsall - 1

Banning orders
1. Blues - 84
2. Villa - 63
3. Wolves - 52
4. Albion - 32
5. Walsall - 13

Whats that as a % of attendances?  We have the bigger attendances so are bound to have higher figures.

Average home attendances last season
1. Villa - 37.194
2. Wolves - 27.925
3. Blues - 25.462
4. Albion - 24.683
5. Walsall - 3.846

Arrests %
1. Blues - 0.29%
2. Villa - 0.28%
3. Wolves - 0.18%
4. Albion - 0.14%
5. Walsall - 0.03%

Banning orders %
1. Walsall - 0.34%
2. Blues - 0.33%
3. Wolves - 0.19%
4. Villa - 0.17%
5. Albion - 0.13%

[Dante Lavelli]

The Villa/Blues stats are well above the other W. Midland clubs.  Is that primarily because of the match between the two sides or are we more thuggish than West Brom, Wolves and Walsall?

[Witton Warrior]

The Villa/Blues stats are well above the other W. Midland clubs.  Is that primarily because of the match between the two sides or are we more thuggish than West Brom, Wolves and Walsall?

There was a lot more "action" between and around Villa and Blose lads over the last 5 seasons; Albions firm was broken by early visits from the Police two seasons ago; Wolves have never recovered from the arrests of about 10 years ago and Walsall only have 4 hooligans - which all means it is safer for the rest of us to go to matches!