More than 1,800 fans were injured in Premier League and English Football League games last season.
New data from the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) shows that 155 people have required hospitalization.
Slips, trips and falls account for about a third of all injuries, but 30% of causes are classified as ‘unknown’.
The figures are broadly similar to the last time data was collected in 2018-19 – before two seasons when fan attendance was disrupted by Covid.
Data only covers what the SGSA calls “eligible” injuries – those that affect spectators on the ground on game day.
They include more than 70 fans injured by soccer balls, and more than 100 others injured during the celebration.
Injuries are not classified as “eligible” for inclusion in the data if they are caused by general illness or pre-existing conditions, or if alcohol or intoxication is the cause of the injury. Player and staff injuries are also excluded.
It means play was delayed in a handful of games last season as doctors cared crowd emergencies, these incidents are not necessarily included in the figures.
In March, the SGSA issued new guidelines to help stadium security managers plan such events without impacting the playing field, which it said had become a “recent trend”.
In 2021-22, there were 1,841 eligible injuries among 34,317,374 fans who went to games. There were also 5,040 additional ineligible injuries.
This is to be compared with 2,069 and 4,626 in 2018-19, among 38,073,988 spectators.
Cuts and lacerations were the main type of injury recorded last season, accounting for 28% of all injuries, but 34% were categorized as ‘other’ or ‘unknown’.
Bruises (15%), strains and sprains (7%), burns or scalds (5%), fainting/dizziness (3%), head trauma (3%) and dislocations (2%) were the other main causes.
Asthma/difficulty breathing, broken bones and grazing each accounted for 1% of recorded injuries.
While slips, trips and falls were the cause of 30% of injuries, approximately 5% were caused by assault in 2021-22, compared to 3% in 2018-2019. Another 30% of causes were classified as “unknown”.
“It would be helpful if clubs were able to provide more information on the cause of the injuries,” the SGSA said.
Other causes included celebrating (6%), accidentally hitting or hitting (5%), kicking a soccer ball (4%), spilling hot liquid (4%) and seat injury (3% ), while turnstiles, insect bites, crowd surges, and flares/smoke/fire each accounted for 1% of cases.
“Football grounds provide a safe environment for supporters with more than 34 million people passing through the turnstiles each year and very few serious incidents being reported,” the Football Supporters’ Association said.
“There is never room for complacency and we are in regular contact with the SGSA who say the UK is one of the safest places to watch sport in the world.
“Of course, if supporters have specific safety concerns, we encourage them to report them to their club or, where appropriate, their local safety advisory group.”
