Football related arrests and banning orders data: FOI release

Information requested

Information on ‘football related arrests and banning orders in Scotland’ [specifically]

1. How many banning orders have been given in the last 10 years for sectarian language at a football match?

2. How many football related banning orders have been given for violence at football matches in the last 10 years?

3. How many banning orders have been given for someone bringing paraphernalia to a football match in the last 10 years? e.g. knives, flares, etc.

4. How many arrests have taken place inside football grounds across Scotland?

5. How many football fans have been arrested outside stadiums?

6. Would you be able to split the figures on a season by season basis.

7. Can you please split the figures also on a club by club basis.

Response

The Scottish Government is not responsible for the collation of information on Football Banning Orders (FBOs) across Scotland. Police Scotland is the responsible body for collating and holding this information so we strongly advise that you contact them to obtain final figures for the years you are interested in and to request information not held by the Scottish Government. Police Scotland can be contacted at foi@scotland.police.uk . Further information can be found at: Freedom of Information - Police Scotland.

Some of the information you have requested is already available in terms of section 25 of FOISA (information otherwise accessible). FBOs issued from 2006 to February 2018 broken down by Club and FBOs Applications by Offence from seasons 2011-12 to 2016-17 is available at: Football banning orders broken down by club: FOI release - gov.scot. Information regarding the overall number of FBOs in seasons 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 is available at: Football banning orders issued in Scotland statistics: FOI release - gov.scot.

From our files we have identified that the Scottish Government holds some of the information you requested regarding FBOs in seasons 2018/19 to 2023/24. This information has been presented in one table, broken down by football season and offence. It is important to note that this information was provided to Scottish Government by Police Scotland and covers the period up to 30 September 2023. The figures for the 2023/24 season are therefore not the final figures for this season. Again, for further information on this or any other statistic relating to FBOs, we advise you to contact Police Scotland directly.

Question 1

We do not hold this information broken down in this way.
However, FBOs issued by offence is provided for years 2018/19 to 2023/24 (up to September 2023 only).

Question 2

We do not hold this information broken down in this way. However, FBOs issued by offence is provided for years 2018/19 to 2023/24 (up to September 2023 only).

Question 3

FBOs issued by offence is provided for years 2018/19 to 2023/24 (up to September 2023 only).

Queston 4

We do not hold this information.

Question 5

We do not hold this information.

Question 6.

The information, where held, is broken down by football season.

Question 7

We do not hold this information.

	2018/2019	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24
Offence
Assault	5	3	1	6	2	1
Breach of the Peace	29	2	2	6	4	0
Pitch Incursion	8	0	0	1	1	0
Other	21	2	2	5	3	0
Mobbing & Rioting	0	0	0	0	0	0
Police Assault	2	0	0	1	1	0
Culpable & Reckless	11	4	2	3	8	0
Pyrotechnics		0	1	1	3	0
Object Thrown		3	0	0	2	0
Other		1	1	2	3	0
Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Articles (Scotland) Act	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
Section 35 (outside the grounds)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
Section 36 (inside the grounds)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act S38	16	15	3	16	10	0
Disorder	4	3	1	2	0	0
Hate Crime	5	5	0	5	3	0
Other	7	7	2	9	7	0
Criminal Law Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1995	2	1	0	6	2	0
Possess firework/flare	2	0	0	4	0	0
Possess firework/flare – attempt to enter	0	0	0	2	2	0
Racial	0	1	0	0	0	0
Possession of Weapon	0	0	0	0	0	0
Vandalism	1	0	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous	0	0	0	3	1	0
Total	66	25	8	41	28	1

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