Ipswich Town supporters were among the best behaved fans in the Championship last season, according to a league table of bans for violence and disorder.

Seven football banning orders were in force for offenders identifying as fans of the club at the beginning of the 2018/19 season – two fewer than the same time last year.

Across the country, 1,822 football banning orders were in force – a 6% fall compared to August 2017.

About a quarter (460) were new football banning orders issued over the course of last season.

Home Office figures showed a steady decline in the total number of football banning orders in force for the last seven seasons – falling by 43% from 3,174 in 2011.

Football-related arrests also fell 6% to 1,542 last season – when the three most common types of offence were public disorder (36%), violent disorder (20%) and pitch incursion (12%)

Despite the number of banned Blues fans increasing from four to seven in three years, only five 2017/18 Championship clubs recorded fewer at the start of this season: Brentford (six), Norwich City (two), Fulham (two), Preston North End (one) and Burton Albion (zero).

Ipswich Town media manager, Steve Pearce said: “The club will not tolerate misbehaviour at Portman Road but these statistics, once again, show that our fans are among the most well-behaved in the Championship – both home and away.”

In the 2017/18 season, Grimsby Town and Sunderland supporters were issued the highest number of new banning orders (28).

In the previous season, Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters were issued the highest number of new football banning orders. However, the club saw the biggest decrease in new football banning orders issued in the latest season – from 32 to five.

A Home Office report said: “Football banning orders are preventative measures issued by the courts, either following a conviction for a football-related offence or following a complaint by a local police force, British Transport Police, or the Crown Prosecution Service.

“The statutory duration of a football banning order is a minimum period of three years and no more than five years.

“In cases where a custodial sentence was imposed for the original offence, a minimum period of six years and no more than 10 years applies.”