Football banning orders: the top 15 clubs with the most fans banned in the 2020-21 season

New figures released today have shone a light on the number of fans who have been given a football banning order – despite Covid restrictions limiting fan interaction last season.

Birmingham City had the most recorded new fans banned from its football matches in the 2020/21 season in England and Wales, the Home Office statistics show.

Fans of the championship club were slapped with 27 banning orders, with 17 going to male fans aged between 18 to 34.

Two male youngsters aged between 10 and 17 were also banned.

The top three clubs with the highest number of new banning orders are a mixture of premier league and championship sides.

The data, published on 14 October, shows Liverpool with 18 banning orders, Bolton Wanderers with 17 and National League team Stockport County with 16.

The total across all English and Welsh clubs was 208.

Banning Orders are a measure imposed by a court following a football-related offence.

It aims to prevent violence or disorder at, or in connection, with regulated football matches.

Banning orders can last for up to 10 years if immediate imprisonment is imposed and must be for at least six years.

If no immediate imprisonment is ordered, the maximum is five years and the minimum three years.

The 2020/21 season started on 12 September, following a mere seven-week break after the 2019/20 season, which was disrupted by the pandemic.

Many fixtures last season saw no fans in attendance. Fans were only allowed to return to watch live sport in England without any restrictions from 19 July 2021, after social distancing rules were scrapped.

The Premier League has now returned to full stadium capacity when it kicked off on 13 August for the 2021/22 season.

The 15 clubs with the most new banning orders last season are revealed below.