The Telegraph‘s senior sports writer Thom Gibbs reveals the 10 rules that match attending fans should and shouldn’t do.
It comes as the 2025/26 season gets underway, with some cringe, tedious behaviour in the stands, but also some sadly rather troubling scenes already, from racism to offensive chanting.
For the 2024/25 season, the Home Office says that football-related crime in England and Wales saw a total of 1,932 arrests, down 11% from 2023/24.
Most (89%) tied to domestic club matches. Manchester United (121), Manchester City (94), and West Ham United (77) had the most supporter arrests. Common offences were public disorder (32%), violent disorder (22%), Class A drug possession (19%).
And the arrest rate is at 4.2 per 100,000 attendees while the number of banning orders sits at 2,439 in force by June 2025, up 12% from 2024, highest since 2012/13.
West Ham United (112), Manchester United (108), and Chelsea (80) led in bans. Mostly issued to males (99.4%) aged 18–34 (64%).
Incidents were reported in 50% of 3,090 matches, up 18% from last season. Most (75%) low severity. Common issues includes hate crimes (420, mostly racial/sexual orientation), missile throwing (363), pyrotechnics (319). Online Hate Crime: 212 cases, down from 322, mostly linked to men’s football. More on that HERE.
Meanwhile, police are to begin using a new ‘tagging spray’ to tackle rising reports of fan disorder at football matches. More on that HERE.
With stadium codes being forgotten, supporters should heed our golden rules when attending matches this season
👃 Thou shalt consider personal hygiene
📱 Thou shalt not turn an entire game into content
🗣️ Thou shalt not loudly discuss either fantasy football or your ‘acca’Read… pic.twitter.com/rxHXa8V28Y
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) August 16, 2025
With this in mind, Thom Gibbs has come up with a list of stadium codes which is seemingly being forgotten up and down the country…
1) Gauge the mood: Adapt to the section’s vibe, match noise, chanting, and standing norms without complaining.
2) Consider personal hygiene: Stay clean and odor-free to avoid ruining others’ experiences.
3) Be mindful of colours: Avoid wearing rival or big-team gear at smaller clubs or in home ends—it’s provocative, even for kids.
4) Don’t whinge about minor things: Accept subpar food, facilities, or seats; it’s a stadium, not luxury.
5) Don’t behave like a herbert: Be rowdy but considerate (especially around kids); limit abuse to players, with one intense swear allowed per season.
6) No loud fantasy football or betting talk: Avoid tedious discussions; focus on the live game, not your phone.
7) Don’t turn the game into content: Film only key moments; skip performing for social media during regular play.
8) Avoid your phone entirely: Don’t miss action by scrolling, just stay engaged and in the moment.
9) Arrive on time, don’t leave early (mostly): Limit one disruption per match (late arrival, early exit) to avoid bothering rows.
10) Live and let live: Embrace the communal absurdity; tolerate eccentricities as perfection isn’t possible.
He explained reasons for each etiquette rule: “If your ticket is in a raucous spot of the ground where the singing starts you cannot reasonably complain about shouting. If in a more sedate area, take your cues on chanting volume and regularity from those around you. If most people are standing, do not cross your arms in a huff and whinge about sightlines. If most are sitting and you insist on standing, you are showing yourself up and have earned the loud bloke behind you telling you to “sit daaahn!”.
“Entire Saturdays have been marred by nearby armpits and halitosis. Don’t be that guy. And yes, it’s always a guy.
“It is the height of fan rudeness to watch a smaller club while wearing the emblem of your “real” Premier League team, even if only on a hat or scarf. It is completely crass if undercover in the home end watching your team away. Realistically this is unlikely to lead to violence if you keep your voice down, but it is still needlessly provocative. No exemption for children either, they can manage an afternoon at Tranmere without their Liverpool coat.
“Food selection worse than a petrol station? Hand dryers not very powerful? Seats not very comfortable? It is a football ground, not a business-class lounge. Get over it.
“Fine to be drunk, fine to be rowdy but no excuse for ruining anyone’s afternoon. Tone it down if there are children nearby. It is distinctly uncool to scream vitriolic abuse at your own players. But you are allowed to choose one swear word from the top shelf and shout it at an opposition player or referee and really mean it, once per season. Use it wisely.
“Always, always, always the most tedious conversation imaginable. Unacceptable to be more interested in games taking place on your phone rather than in front of your eyes.
“The ship has sailed for crowds filming notable moments (penalties, goal celebrations, Leny Yoro warming up nearby), but it is still a bleak sight seeing people “performing” into their phones during standard passages of play. Especially when hamming up reactions to TikTok-ian proportions. Give it a rest.
“This is my new season’s resolution. I have missed one too many goals gazing vacantly at something irrelevant during a break in play which held my interest after the game restarted.
“You are permitted one of the following per match: arriving late for kick-off, exiting before half-time, arriving late for the second half or leaving before full time. No crime to be caught up by factors which can delay arrival: traffic, troublesome turnstiles, delicious, watered-down £6 plastic-bottled lager. No crime to get ahead of the bar queue at half-time, or the crowd when leaving. But pick one, forcing everyone in your row to stand up is a drag.
“Despite these judgemental rules, the appeal of watching live football comes from its ability to unite disparate people behind something fundamentally absurd. Those who go to games are in it together, and have more in common with rival match-attending fans than those who consume primarily on TV. Try not to become too angry about the eccentricities and irritations of the people around you. Communal experiences can never be perfect.”
