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| Cardiff City FC on top of football banning order table | Cardiff City FC on top of football banning order table |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Cardiff City football fans have more banning orders than supporters at any other club in England and Wales, Home Office figures show. | Cardiff City football fans have more banning orders than supporters at any other club in England and Wales, Home Office figures show. |
| Cardiff has 143 orders in place which ban supporters from football matches, followed by Leeds United with 106 and Chelsea with 105. | Cardiff has 143 orders in place which ban supporters from football matches, followed by Leeds United with 106 and Chelsea with 105. |
| Despite this, the number of football-related disorder arrests at all Welsh clubs has fallen in the last year. | Despite this, the number of football-related disorder arrests at all Welsh clubs has fallen in the last year. |
| Police said the "high number" of ban orders reflects "proactive work". | Police said the "high number" of ban orders reflects "proactive work". |
| Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay said the figures highlight the "zero tolerance" approach to disorder, but claimed the club has made great strides to tackle the problem over recent seasons. | |
| He said: "I can only touch on the football club since I've been here and when I go to our stadium and walk about it looks like an environment I would want to bring my children to." | |
| The banning orders are issued by the courts following a conviction of a football-related offence, or after a complaint by the Crown Prosecution Service or a local police force. | |
| They can last between three and 10 years. | They can last between three and 10 years. |
| Cardiff City had 61 new banning orders imposed in the last year, taking its total to 143 - more than larger clubs like Manchester United, which has 101 banning orders and Chelsea, which has 105. | Cardiff City had 61 new banning orders imposed in the last year, taking its total to 143 - more than larger clubs like Manchester United, which has 101 banning orders and Chelsea, which has 105. |
| Swansea City has 76 orders in place, an increase of seven in the last year. | Swansea City has 76 orders in place, an increase of seven in the last year. |
| Wrexham (14), Newport County (12) and Bangor City (three) have all seen drops over the last year. | Wrexham (14), Newport County (12) and Bangor City (three) have all seen drops over the last year. |
| But across England and Wales, arrests for football-related disorder are at a record low, the Home Office statistics show, with just over 3,000 people arrested last year. | But across England and Wales, arrests for football-related disorder are at a record low, the Home Office statistics show, with just over 3,000 people arrested last year. |
| In Wales, Cardiff City's arrests fell from 117 in the 2009-10 season to 44 in 2010-11, while Swansea's arrests went down from 63 to 35 and Wrexham's dropped from 12 to six. | In Wales, Cardiff City's arrests fell from 117 in the 2009-10 season to 44 in 2010-11, while Swansea's arrests went down from 63 to 35 and Wrexham's dropped from 12 to six. |
| The majority of arrests were for public disorder and alcohol offences, although Swansea and Cardiff each had one incident of racist or indecent chanting. | The majority of arrests were for public disorder and alcohol offences, although Swansea and Cardiff each had one incident of racist or indecent chanting. |
| 'Police-free matches' | 'Police-free matches' |
| Vince Alm, chairman of Cardiff City Supporters' Club, said the arrest figures told a truer story about Cardiff's current supporter record, rather than the banning orders, which may relate to crimes from previous years. | Vince Alm, chairman of Cardiff City Supporters' Club, said the arrest figures told a truer story about Cardiff's current supporter record, rather than the banning orders, which may relate to crimes from previous years. |
| "For years it's been improving," he said. "We are getting bigger attendances but arrests have gone down, so it shows we're going the right way. | "For years it's been improving," he said. "We are getting bigger attendances but arrests have gone down, so it shows we're going the right way. |
| "The trend is good. You go to the Cardiff City Stadium now and you don't really see any trouble there. In fact, 50% of our homes games are now police-free, with just stewards and police in the control room being used. | "The trend is good. You go to the Cardiff City Stadium now and you don't really see any trouble there. In fact, 50% of our homes games are now police-free, with just stewards and police in the control room being used. |
| "But we are still sometimes heavily policed at away games because of of the perception of the club that some forces still have." | "But we are still sometimes heavily policed at away games because of of the perception of the club that some forces still have." |
| He said fans had been working proactively to stop the disorder that has seen the football club in the newspapers for all the wrong reasons in the past. | He said fans had been working proactively to stop the disorder that has seen the football club in the newspapers for all the wrong reasons in the past. |
| "We have regular meetings to talk about matches and fans have basically been policing themselves - if they see someone behaving inappropriately, they tell them they're letting the club down," he added. | "We have regular meetings to talk about matches and fans have basically been policing themselves - if they see someone behaving inappropriately, they tell them they're letting the club down," he added. |
| Mr Alm also said he believed the high number of football banning orders was most likely the result of a "one-off" incident at a Chelsea v Cardiff FA Cup game in 2010. | Mr Alm also said he believed the high number of football banning orders was most likely the result of a "one-off" incident at a Chelsea v Cardiff FA Cup game in 2010. |
| South Wales Police said the low arrest figures showed the majority of football fans were "well behaved". | South Wales Police said the low arrest figures showed the majority of football fans were "well behaved". |
| "The latest arrest figures speak for themselves - both the Liberty Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium are safe and family-friendly venues in which to watch football. | "The latest arrest figures speak for themselves - both the Liberty Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium are safe and family-friendly venues in which to watch football. |
| "The reduction, and low, number of arrests particularly at the home games is the result of a combination of factors - the good behaviour of the fans, the stewarding and effective policing." | "The reduction, and low, number of arrests particularly at the home games is the result of a combination of factors - the good behaviour of the fans, the stewarding and effective policing." |
| The Home Office said the latest figures are a major success story with progress being made at both international and domestic levels of football. | The Home Office said the latest figures are a major success story with progress being made at both international and domestic levels of football. |
| It said football banning orders continued to have "a positive effect" a decade after their introduction. | It said football banning orders continued to have "a positive effect" a decade after their introduction. |
| A spokesman said the success was also due to the "great strides" police had made in working with the football community and a change in attitude by fans themselves. | A spokesman said the success was also due to the "great strides" police had made in working with the football community and a change in attitude by fans themselves. |
| The figures relate to the Premier League and Football League in England, as well as a number of non-league competitions in England and Wales, European club matches and internationals. | The figures relate to the Premier League and Football League in England, as well as a number of non-league competitions in England and Wales, European club matches and internationals. |