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The Football Supporters’ Federation and fans’ groups from Liverpool and Manchester United have met with the police, Football Association, and both clubs in the build-up to Saturday’s FA Cup 4th Round tie at Anfield. The meeting gave fans the chance to share their views with the authorities and discuss security and transport information.

The total number of arrests for football-related disorder fell 9% from the previous year during the 2010-11 season according to new Home Office statistics. The figures include football-specific arrests, such as throwing missiles or pitch encroachment as well as more general offences committed in and around football stadia.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has identified six safety steps to build into Fulham’s matchday planning to prevent a repeat of the problems which occurred at September’s Brazil v Ghana friendly.

Fans of Portsmouth and Southampton are unhappy with Hampshire Police thanks to their decision to force a so-called “bubble match” onto supporters this Sunday. Bubble matches place severe restrictions on fans’ freedom of movement and supporters of both sides say the move is unnecessary.

Almost 100 Cardiff City supporters walked out of their team’s match at Leeds United’s Elland Road on Saturday in protest at the treatment of fellow fans, according to reports from Cardiff City Supporters’ Club (CCSC). A number of Bluebirds supporters had already been ejected from the away end by stewards for persistent standing before scores of fellow fans said enough is enough and walked out in protest. The show of solidarity among supporters grew from a sense of unfairness and resentment – unfairness at how they say they were being treated differently from home fans and resentment at the ticket cost, kick-off time, and enforced travel arrangements. Seeing fellow fans singled out and slung out for standing was the straw that broke the camel’s back for many.

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Forty four MPs have signed a Commons motion demanding The Sun hand over its own records in relation to the Hillsborough disaster. The motion supports an online petition, signed by more than 25,000 people, demanding “full disclosure” of The Sun’s Hillsborough related papers. On Monday the government promised to release its own papers in relation to the 1989 disaster.

This article first appeared in the Football Supporters’ Federation’s official magazine The Football Supporter (tfs) 027.

The Government is appealing a ruling by information commissioner Christopher Graham ordering them to release cabinet discussions held in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. 96 Liverpool fans died following a crush at an FA Cup semi-final in April 1989.

Football industry magazine FC Business has launched a new campaign to scrap the laws which currently make it illegal to consume alcohol within sight of the pitch. FC Business says it intends to lobby for the support of all league Chairmen, Chief Executives, and Stadium Safety Managers, to change laws which discriminate against football fans.

A Barnsley fan has been awarded £3,750 compensation by South Yorkshire Police after he was bitten by a police dog and served with a Section 27 order on his way to Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane. The incident occurred on Saturday 3rd April 2010 and came to the attention of the Football Supporters’ Federation after 22-year-old Aaron Webber* contacted the FSF saying he had done nothing at all to deserve such extreme treatment.

Last Sunday’s 5-0 Manchester City victory against Sunderland guaranteed a happy weekend for the vast majority of Blues fans. The club had strengthened its position in the Champions League places and even, for the more optimistic supporter, kept alive their title challenge.

Too many football clubs pay only “lip service” to customer service, according to a comprehensive review of Premier League and Championship club charters by the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF). It is 12 years since the government-appointed Football Task Force Report proposed that all clubs should adopt a customer charter.

*Hillsborough, Sheridan Suite, Sheffield. Thursday, 3rd March 2011. Kick-off 7pm (for 7.30pm start). Free entry.

Whenever a fan is on the receiving end of shoddy treatment, be it from their club or the opposition, the police or stewards, the most important quality they can possess in order to guarantee justice is persistence. A fine example of this is a young Celtic fan, we’ll call him John as he understandably wishes to remain anonymous, who got in touch with the Football Supporters’ Federation following his arrest at a pre-season friendly away to Lincoln City. Celtic travelled to Lincoln City’s Sincil Bank stadium on Saturday 24th July 2010 for a pre-season friendly and the Scottish side took a healthy support south – at the time Lincoln were managed by Bhoys legend Chris Sutton. It was a hot summer day and after a few early afternoon beers in the sun the away support was rowdy leading a few fans to, in continental fashion, set off flares and smoke bombs.

A Tranmere Rovers fan has been acquitted of being drunk at a game after police misread his stroke symptoms. Steve Renton was thrown out of Bristol Rovers’ Memorial Stadium back in March during his team’s goalless draw. He was charged by police and ordered to attend trial at Bristol Magistrates Court. During the two-day hearing Magistrates heard that Renton, of Birkenhead, had in fact been the victim of a stroke two years ago which left him with slurred speech and difficulty staying on his feet.

Aston Villa have promised to “re-educate” stewards after a teenage fan was needlessly ejected from last Sunday’s Birmingham derby. Kieran Comerford was thrown out for pitch encroachment after heading a wayward ball back on to the pitch.

Today’s news that incidents of football hooliganism involving younger fans have almost trebled in the past three years will be news to most football fans. In fact, we suspect most will file this “news” under the category “rubbish”. It doesn’t tally with most supporters’ experience of going to games, and it certainly isn’t backed up by the stats.

A group of Leicester City supporters who backed a campaign by rival Scunthorpe fans have astonishingly been silenced by their own club. Keep Scunthorpe Standing, launched to protect and retain the standing area at Glanford Park, was given whole-hearted backing by Foxes fans’ group the Fosse Boys during their team’s 3-1 home victory over the Iron on Saturday (see pic). What should be an entirely positive story – one set of fans back another’s campaign in a show of supporter solidarity – unfortunately left a bitter taste as Leicester City’s hierarchy thought differently and instructed stewards to remove the banners. The decision has gone down like a lead balloon amongst many Foxes fans who resent the suppression of legitimate fans’ views.

The FSF’s work doesn’t just involve high-level meetings with the game’s governing bodies, it’s individual casework with fans that really makes us tick. Just one example from many in our heavy workload since the season began is the story of James, a Manchester United fan, who got in touch with us in late August.