Young Football Hooliganism On The Increase

Incidents involving a new, younger generation of football hooligans have almost trebled, police have warned.

Even though overall levels of hooliganism remain low, figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) highlight 103 incidents last season, up from 38 in 2007.

The growing trend has sparked concern, as police figures show there are now 290 teenagers across the UK banned from football grounds.

However the Football Supporters' Federation said hooliganism was no longer a major problem.

While the violence is not as severe as in the 1970s and 1980s, police are concerned about the possible emergence of a new generation of hooligans in the lower leagues where there are fewer resources of control at the matches.

ACPO figures show that almost half (47%) of incidents last season in England, Wales and Northern Ireland involved youths.

Andy Holt, a spokesman for APCO on football policing, said: "If they're engaging in football-related disorder at an earlier age then we're going to be stuck with that sort of behaviour potentially for some while.

"So it is something that we are acutely aware of. People are coming through and engaging in football disorder who perhaps weren't around in the heyday of football violence 15-20 years ago.

"So it is a worrying trend that the younger element are starting to pick up on this sort of behaviour."

Football banning orders are one of the key tools used to try to tackle the problem.

The bans apply to all football grounds, and can also stop troublemakers from using trains or entering city centres on match days.

In September, official statistics for the current football season show 3,211 bans in place across the UK, 290 of which were for teenagers, the youngest aged 13.

(BMcN/KMcA)