In July 2018 the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Shared Data Unit reported there were as few as 41 fans to each officer at one of the most-heavily-policed football matches in the UK in the 2017/18 season.
We compared Freedom of Information responses from 37 police forces covering football teams in the Premier League, English Football League, Scottish Championship and Scottish Premiership and attendance figures from the statistics company Opta.
Our analysis found:
- The number of officers sent to matches ranged from zero to a peak of 587 when Middlesbrough visited Sunderland - an officer for every 50 spectators
- The most-heavily-policed Premier League fixture was Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United at Wembley Stadium with 477 officers, one for every 105 spectators
- There was a wide variation across police force areas in how much of their costs they recouped
- The most expensive policing operation in England was Sheffield Wednesday against Sheffield United at Hillsborough, which cost Β£203,000. The home club was billed for Β£41,000.
- In Scotland, the most expensive policing operation was Rangers vs. Celtic at Ibrox at Β£64,000
The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and the News Media Association. Stories generated by the partnership included:
- Teeside Live: 24 July 2018
- The Yorkshire Post: 24 July 2018
- The Yorkshire Post: 24 July 2018
- Yorkshire Evening Post: 24 July 2018
- Chronicle Live: 24 July 2018
- Birmingham Mail: 24 July 2018
- Express & Star: 24 July 2018
- Swindon Advertiser: 24 July 2018
- Sunderland Echo: 24 July 2018
- Northern Echo: 24 July 2018
- Evening Express: 24 July 2018
- Sheffield: The Star: 24 July 2018
- Chronicle Live: 24 July 2018
- Newham Recorder: 25 July 2018
- Swindon Advertiser: 25 July 2018
- Grimsby Live: 26 July 2018
- Coventry Telegraph: 28 July 2018
- Bristol Post: 30 July 2018
The story was also used by Sportsday on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News Channel, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 5 Live, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Newcastle, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Tees, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Scotland, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Cornwall, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ WM, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Berkshire, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Lincolnshire, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Sheffield, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Shropshire, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Suffolk, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Leicester, , Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Stoke and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Manchester.