NEW statistics about football banning orders (FBOs) will do little to cheer long-suffering Bury FC fans.

Although the number of FBOs issued across the country has fallen, for the first time in three years the number of active banning orders against fans of Bury FC has risen.

Figured released by the Home Office last week showed that nine fans were not allowed to attend matches this past season, while six fans were banned in the previous season.

All orders were made against men aged 18 to 34.

Nearby clubs ranked at a similarly low level on the national list. Bolton Wanderers has bans against 12 fans, Oldham Athletic has seven bans in effect, and Altrincham FC has just one active ban.

The three worst behaved set of fans support Newcastle United with 71 active bans (four per cent of total), Grimsby Town with 61 active bans (3.4 per cent of total), and Birmingham City with 57 active bans (3.2 per cent of total).

More than 2,000 orders were in force in 2015, dropping to just over 1,700 in place now. National arrest rates have also fallen by over 25 per cent since the 2014/15 season.

Bury has broken this trend too, with football-related arrests rising significantly.

No fans were arrested in the 2017/18 season, while nine found themselves on the wrong side of the law last season.

Three fans escaped banning orders after running on to the pitch and smashing a stool against a barrier.

Lewis Tansey, 19, his father Sean, 46, and family friend Antony Grindrod, 39, were attending an away game against Forest Green Rovers in January when the incident occurred.

The district judge at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court advised the trio to avoid any Bury v Bolton matches after claims they were taunted by Bolton Wanderers fans invited to the game.

Another fan, 30-year-old Stefan Camps, was banned from matches for three years after slapping Grimsby Town striker, Charles Vernam, during a home game on September 8 2018.

Camps was given a 13-month community order after admitting the assault, and banned from Bury’s home at Gigg Lane for life.

Chief Inspector Nicholas Hill, from the Specialist Operations Planning Unit at Greater Manchester Police, said the force concentrates on the safety of fans.

He said: “Our main aim is to prevent trouble to improve the enjoyment for the fans at that game. We will try and stray people from that pathway by identifying potential trouble makers. They may not be aware of the impact that their behaviour is having and we will speak to them to explain the consequences they might face.”

Football banning orders were introduced by the Football Spectators Act 1989, and are given to someone who has been accused of a football-related offence.

The bans prevent someone from attending matches for up to 10 years. They can also cause people to be barred from using public transport on match days, visiting certain pubs or town centres at times around matches, or even require the subject’s passport around the time of international tournaments.