REVEALED: The UK’s most dangerous football grounds

Peterborough United v Sheffield United – Sky Bet Championship – Weston Homes Stadium
Peterborough United's London Road stadium (Image credit: Leila Coker)

The 2023/24 season saw another rise in arrest figures across England and Wales, with the Home Office last month revealing that 2,584 football-related arrests were made over the course of last season.

This marked a 14 per cent year-on-year increase, following last year's figures of 2,264 arrests which was a previous high.

One of the key drivers behind this increase was a growing number of arrests for possession of class A drugs, which rose by 144 on the 2022/23 figures.

Most dangerous grounds revealed

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 28: General view outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on May 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Chelsea's Stamford Bridge is the 'most dangerous' Premier League stadium (Image credit: Getty Images)

Following the release of these Home Office figures, security experts at Get Licensed have broken the 2022/23 data down to reveal the stadiums with the highest arrest and banning order rates to reveal which grounds are the most 'dangerous' in England and Wales.

Topping their list is Peterborough United's Weston Homes Stadium, which saw 63 arrests that season, which equated to 3.04 arrests per 10,000 attendees - the highest in the country.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace looks on during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Crystal Palace and Norwich City at Selhurst Park on August 27, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images) Crystal Palace squad for 2024/25

Selhurst Park is the UK's safest ground (Image credit: Getty Images)

Second on their list is League Two side Barrow, where there 21 arrests, which equates to 2.61 arrests per 10,000 match-goers at their Holker Street ground.

Rochdale's Crown Oil Arena also tops more than two arrests per 10,000 attendees, with Lincoln City and Blackpool completing the top five.

Millwall are the top-ranked Championship side and sit sixth on this list with 1.18 arrests per 10,000 supporters, while Chelsea are the highest Premier League at ninth place, with 0.99 arrests per 10,000 supporters,

At the other end of the table League One Burton Albion and League Two side Harrogate Town are the 'safest' grounds in the game, with no arrests made at either stadium during the 2022/23 campaign.

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The safest Premier League ground is Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park, with just 0.06 arrests per10,000 supporters, the third-best rate in England and Wales.

Joe Mewis

For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.