Bojan Jovanovic

Whether they are based on local bragging rights or a history of title fights, derbies always stand out as some of the most exciting fixtures on the English football calendar. However, some of these rivalries go beyond bad blood, resulting in arrests and banning orders for some ferocious fans. The 2026/27 season has already seen bitter rivals Millwall and West Ham clash for the first time in 14 years. The notorious derby has inspired Hollywood movies, and reports indicated that the Met Police responded by deploying over 400 police officers across a five-mile dispersal zone in London.Meanwhile, heated clashes between Manchester United and Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, plus AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons have also produced their fair share of feisty fanfare.But are these fiery fixtures notorious for a reason?With another season filled with several raucous rivalries ahead of us, the team at AskGamblers used official crime statistics data provided by the UK Home Office to calculate the combined number of criminal offences committed between two sets of rivals since 2019.The analysis covered 35 derbies taking place across the Premier League and EFL in 2026/27.Here are the top 10 most dangerous derbies in English football ranked:Which Derby Is the Most Dangerous?Millwall vs. West Ham United was named the most dangerous derby, with a combined 1231 criminal offences between the two bitter rivals since 2019. This included 1000 banning orders and 231 home arrests. West Ham fans contributed more to that total figure, with a staggering 556 banning orders and 116 arrests since 2019. Irons fans have been issued more banning orders since 2019 than any other English fanbase, while ranking 9th in the country for arrests.That’s compared to the 444 banning orders and 115 arrests of Millwall fans in that time. Lions’ fans ranked 11th in the country for all offences.The combination of offences between the two bitter rivals saw this notorious London derby comfortably named the most dangerous.Red Devils Appeared the Most in Top 10Manchester United showed up in three out of the top five slots in the study, with their rivalries with Manchester City, Liverpool and Leeds United taking the 2nd, 3rd and 5th slots respectively. Red Devils fans have faced more arrests than any other fanbase in English football since 2019, with 150. The MUFC fans have also been dealt more banning orders than any other English fanbase since 2019, with 449.Combined, both sets of Manchester supporters have been deemed responsible for 1098 offences since 2019, with City fans contributing 147 arrests and 352 banning orders.Liverpool also features in three different derbies in the top 10, with the infamous Merseyside derby with Everton ranked in 7th place, behind the Reds’ rivalries with Manchester United (3rd) and Manchester City (4th). Between them, Liverpool and Everton fans have been found to have committed 745 offences since 2019.Chelsea and Arsenal also made multiple appearances, featuring twice in the top 10, with their clash against each other ranked at 6th, and their respective North London derby (Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur) ranked at 9th and the West London derby (Chelsea vs Fulham) rounding off the list in 10th.Which Rivalries Missed Out on the Top 10?Some infamous derbies that did not appear in the top 10 included the Tyne-Wear derby (Newcastle vs. Sunderland), the East Lancashire derby (Blackburn vs. Burnley), and the South Coast derby (Portsmouth vs. Southampton).Eight out of ten dangerous derbies in the list are Premier League clashes. However, the Championship clash between Midlands rivals Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion makes 8th place with a combined 735 offences since 2019.Fanbases of ‘big six’ sides such as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea all dominated the top 10, indicating not just tempers fraying between fans for these high-profile fixtures, but a stronger likelihood of the law being enforced.Our MethodologyThis study aimed to determine the ‘most dangerous’ football derbies in English football in the 2026/27 season. To do so, it used official crime statistics published by the UK Home Office via the gov.uk website. The data included the total number of fan arrests and the total number of banning orders issued to fans of all 92 clubs currently in England’s top four leagues. These figures were combined to give each club’s fanbase a total ‘all offences’ figure.The study identified 35 ‘derbies’ that will take place across the Premier League and the EFL in 2026/27 and added together the number of ‘all offences’ from the two club fanbases involved in each rivalry, ranking them from largest to smallest to determine the ‘most dangerous’ derby.

All reputable providers should offer responsible gambling tools to help players control their gambling activity and stay on top of their bankroll. However, it’s also an area where the industry has room for improvement, with organisations like the UK Gambling Commission introducing financial risk assessments, ensuring players aren't overspending.There’s been a lot of discussion about how effective this new tool will be, as there continues to be debate about the best ways to protect players. So we went straight to the source and asked our forum which responsible gambling tools they use, if any. 61.13% of respondents use some form of responsible gambling tools. The most popular options were deposit limits and self-exclusions with 16.67% each.38.89% of respondents use no or other responsible gambling tools.Spreadsheets and their own budget management were the most popular alternative tools.54.55% of players ‘Always’ set a budget, while 9.09% say they ‘Usually’ do.The Majority Uses Responsible Gambling ToolsIn our first poll, we asked users, ‘Do you set responsible gambling tools?’ and to select which, if any, they use. It’s important to remember that this is only a small sample of gamblers, but here’s what our forum users replied. When all the options are combined together, we can see that 61.13% of respondents said they used some form of responsible gambling tool, while 38.89% said they used ‘none or others’.Deposit Limits and Self-Exclusion Are the Most PopularThe most widely used responsible gambling tools are deposit limits and self-exclusion, both of which 16.67% of players each said they use.In the comments, we saw a number of users discussing how they set monthly or weekly deposit limits to prevent them from overspending. They mention how doing so protects them from ‘excessive losses’ or getting carried away while gambling.Deposit limits are widely recognised as the most popular method in the industry. They’re customisable, allowing players to set a maximum they want to spend based on how much they can afford and over a time period that works for them. On top of that, they’re simple to set up and offered by the many providers while gamblers are creating their account, making them some of the best-known options.Every Other Player Always Sets a BudgetIn our second poll, which asked players whether they set a budget when gambling, 54.55% responded that they ‘Always’ set a budget. As seen in the comments, it’s a relatively even split between whether players use their own methods to do so or turn to deposit limits.Some deposit the amount that works for them at the start of the week or month, and ensure they don't exceed this. Others, meanwhile, prefer having the solid barrier of a deposit limit to prevent them from overspending.A further 9.09% of respondents said that they ‘Usually’ set a budget. A few chose to explain this in the comments, saying that they won’t always set a budget if there’s a poker competition on, for example.Self-Exclusion Is Equally PopularSelf-exclusion limits were just as popular an option as deposit limits, with many players saying they use them when they need to take a break from gambling. They highlight that they’re an effective way to prevent overspending or getting caught up in a game.We saw similar discussion from players about using time-out limits or reminders, with many using them as a way to not ‘lose track of time’ when gambling. As one of our members says,’It is so easy to lose track of time when you are focused on a game’, which can lead to players overspending without even realising.They also highlight how reminders are a great opportunity for players to reflect, look at how much they’ve spent, and decide whether they want to continue. It can be all too easy to keep hitting the ‘Continue’ button or spinning a slot. Session limits and short self-exclusion periods help break this behaviour up.Nearly 40% Use No or Other ToolsOf the members surveyed, 38.89% answered to say they used ‘none or others’, which they went on to explain in the comments. From these, we learn that many players feel that they can manage their spending without using the tools on sites. A number said they begin gambling with a set budget each month and ensure they don’t deposit or spend anything above that threshold.A few discussed using spreadsheets to track how much they deposit on gambling sites, in order to prevent overspending or chasing losses. This can be an effective tool to help players manage their budget, but it does rely on them making the decision to stick to it, which can sometimes be a challenge in the heat of the moment.Responsible Gambling MisconceptionsAll the players recognised that it’s important not to spend beyond their means, or chase losses, or as one user puts it ‘chasing rabbits’. However, there were a considerable number who would prefer to do this on their own without using the tools provided by platforms. We saw concern from some players who felt that if they used reminders or time limits on a provider, this might be used as an ‘excuse’ to suspend their account.All reputable providers should offer, and encourage players to use, responsible gambling tools in order to prevent harm.The Industry Has a Way to GoWhile it’s understandable that players want to use their own methods to control spending, it could also feed back into a common misunderstanding about responsible gambling tools: that they’re only for gamblers who have a problem. Responsible gambling tools are there for every player to make use of, and help to prevent a problem developing, rather than being used solely as a solution.It highlights that the industry, from the Gambling Commission to providers, still has a way to go to correct these misconceptions. It’s essential to change players’ mindsets around responsible gambling, and encourage more players to use these helpful tools in order to prevent harm.

Since June 2009, players have been getting to know each other on the ‘Introduce yourself to the world’ thread. Our oldest continuously active thread has amassed 1,500 replies and 312,700 views over the 17 years it’s been active, making it one of the most popular on the AskGamblers forum.It provides users with an opportunity to make connections by introducing themselves to the community. Players will say their name, what games they play and engage in other casual chat while welcoming other new players.It also features a companion thread, ‘How’d you get into slots? And gambling?’, where users discuss how they entered gambling. From our insights, we learnt just how important these communities are, with the most common answer being friend referrals for games.2/5 users started gambling after a recommendation from a friend. 2/5 users began placing bets on sports due to being an existing fan. 1/5 users were encouraged to gamble through an incentive or bonus. There were three users each who said their first gambling experience was with either poker, slots or sports betting.Two users said they started with in-person gambling, like slot machines, before going online.Most Start From Friend Recommendations or Watching SportsFrom the responses in the companion thread, we found that two out of five players made their way into gambling from a friend referral. Users talk about how their friends playing casino games, such as bingo and slots, has encouraged them to give the games a go themselves. Others talk about seeing their friends be successful with sports betting, and how that has prompted them to start making bets themselves. A further two out of five posters said they got into gambling through watching sports. They talk about being fans of things like football, and how their knowledge of the statistics and predictions for games has led them to place bets. The remaining forumgoers said they were encouraged to start gambling by an incentive offering a free bet for signing up at a sportsbook. They received an email offering them this free bet and have been gambling ‘regularly to this day’, including moving onto slots.Here’s how that breaks down:What Games Do Beginners Like?There was a relatively even split between the different games those same players mentioned that first got them into gambling. For slots, poker or sports betting, there were three users each who said they were their first games. The other two users said they started out with bingo.Another common theme was that many respondents started out by gambling offline before making the digital transition. Afi4wins discussed how they started with physical slot machines in ‘amusement arcades’ with ‘real symbols attached to each reel’. Another user, marius1978, shares these sentiments, replying that ‘these machines were everywhere’ while they were growing up, drawing them into gambling in-person before they went online.It’s All About ConnectionOur introduction thread, where players introduce themselves to the forum and exchange general conversation, shows how much gambling is about connection. We can equally see that in the thread which talks about how people got into gambling, with two out of five doing so from a friend's recommendation.The connection to physical gambling, such as in-person slots, arcades and bingo halls, is also clear to see. Many users start out by gambling in-person, before they make the move online and discover the huge variety of games available there.So, after 17 years of players introducing themselves to AskGamblers, we see that regardless of how they get into the world, or their favourite games, it’s the need for community that has led our oldest forum page to remain relevant to players.

The biggest event on the football calendar, the FIFA World Cup, is already underway. Everybody got their predictions, but we also wanted to know whether a computer - specifically, a video game - can predict the outcome of the playoffs and guess who’ll ultimately win the World Cup.We set up our PlayStation 5, loaded up a game, and were ready to go.Setting up the World Cup on PlayStation 5To create this simulation, we used the best football sim on the market - FC26 by EA Sports. The game was updated with the latest rosters and standings, alongside national teams that participate in the World Cup.Matches were set to 5 minutes per half, and the CPU was set to World Class. Every match was played on the same stadium, with perfect weather conditions, and, of course, no player was controlling any of the teams, so the matches were CPU vs CPU. All other rules followed the current official World Cup format. That includes extra time and a penalty shootout in case of a tie.The Tournament Is On!Once we’d had everything set up, it was time to run the simulated matches and see how the game’s vast database and statistics convert into a possible real-world scenario.We started from the official Round of 32, and it went like this:South Africa - Canada 0:1Netherlands - Morocco 0:0 (3:4 penalties)Germany - Paraguay 0:1France - Sweden 7:1Belgium - Senegal 0:0 (3:4 penalties)USA - Bosnia and Herzegovina 3:0Spain - Austria 1:0Portugal - Croatia 1:0Brazil - Japan 2:0Côte d'Ivoire - Norway 1:2Mexico - Ecuador 1:0England - DR Congo 1:0Switzerland - Algeria 1:0Colombia - Ghana 1:1 (3:4 penalties)Australia - Egypt 0:3Argentina - Cabo Verde 1:0In the Round of 16, the results were:Canada - Morocco 2:0Paraguay - France 1:3Senegal - USA 0:2Spain - Portugal 0:1Brazil - Norway 2:0Mexico - England 0:1Switzerland - Ghana 1:0Egypt - Argentina 0:2The quarterfinals of our simulated World Cup:Canada - France 0:1USA - Portugal 0:3Brazil - England 1:2Switzerland - Argentina 0:2Who Will Win the World Cup?When we started this experiment, one of the goals was to see whether this video game’s simulations match up with predictions of tipsters and veteran bettors.According to FC26, these teams will play in the semifinals of the World Cup: France, Portugal, England, and Argentina. This prediction nearly matches what experts say. Aside from Portugal, all other teams are dominating the outright odds markets.Going back to the simulation in FC26, the France - Portugal match ended with a 0-2 win for Portugal, while the game between England and Argentina ended in a 2-2 stalemate, followed by a 3-4 penalty shootout.The final showdown between Portugal and Argentina was a 0-0 game that went into extra time and, ultimately, ended with penalties. There, Portugal took the victory and the title of the World Cup champion with a 5-4 score.So, that’s what the simulation through a video game has to say. We’ll see in the upcoming weeks how precise it was.If you’re looking for a second computer-based opinion, we are currently running a competition between leading AI models. And, if you’re interested in making some bets yourself, be sure to visit our Football Planet promotion page and grab yourself a few exclusive betting offers.

The Ballon d’Or will be awarded to the world’s best footballer on the 26th of October at the London Palladium Theatre. The competition is especially tight this year, with the World Cup allowing the nominated stars to shine internationally alongside their domestic achievements.AskGamblers looked to the past to find the patterns in previous winners that could help predict who will be walking away with the trophy this year.Across the past 25 years of winners (excluding 2020 when the award wasn’t given out), we looked at which clubs they played for, their positions, and which trophies they’d won during their nominated season.Based on the common patterns, we found three main indicators: winners are more likely to play in La Liga, be a forward and have won major silverware over the season. Only one player fits that pattern this year: Lamine Yamal. Highlights: 64% of winners since 2000 were playing in La Liga when they received the Ballon d’Or.Real Madrid was the most common club for Ballon d’Or winners, with nine playing at the club. Barcelona were next with seven, and then a major drop to AC Milan and PSG with two.76% of winners since 2000 were forward players. 80% of winners had won a major trophy (either their domestic title, the Champions League or the World Cup). The 2026 Nominees La Liga Is a Winners' GroundAt the time they won the trophy, 64% of the winners since 2000 were playing in La Liga. The most common club over that time was Real Madrid with nine winners hailing from the Spanish giant (although three of these had made the move to Madrid in the summer they won the award). Over the same period, the club won nine La Liga titles. However, only two of the nine Ballon d’Or wins actually coincided with Real Madrid winning La Liga–Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017 and Karim Benzema in 2022. Real last won the title in 2023/24, with Barcelona winning the last two seasons.There’s more of a pattern when we look at Champions League wins. Of the six players who had spent all of their Ballon d’Or-winning season at Real Madrid, five had won the Champions League that year. The only exception to that is Ronaldo in 2013, who won the award despite not claiming any major trophy that year.This year’s nominees who play in La Liga: Bellingham, Cubarsí, Cucurella*, Yamal, Mbappé, Rodri* and Vinícius Jr. *Moved to La Liga from the Premier League during the summer. Three out of Four Ballon d’Or Winners Were ForwardsOut of the 25 years of previous winners, over three-quarters of them were forwards. Only one defender won the award, Cannavaro in 2006, and five midfielders won over the same period. Attacking players dominate the award. There’s a relatively even split in terms of nominees this year, with 14 forwards, nine defenders and seven midfielders. However, being a high-scoring forward player is a strong selling point when it comes to winning the Ballon d’Or. 80% Won a Major Trophy That SeasonOut of the 25 years of previous winners, 80% won either the Champions League, the World Cup or their domestic league. It’s the most crucial determining factor when it comes to awarding the Ballon d’Or, with only five occasions in the last 25 years where the winner had claimed none of these trophies. Even in those cases, the player had usually won some form of silverware. For example, Michael Owen in 2001 won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup, while Messi won the Copa del Rey in 2012 and Copa América in 2021. It’s why players from PSG, who won the Champions League for a second year running on top of their domestic Ligue 1 title, dominate the nominations. Nine of the nominees (and Ferran Torres, who joined this summer) are from the French club, while only five nominees won no silverware at all. This year’s nominees who haven’t claimed one of the three major trophies: Fernandes, Vinícius Jr., Mbappé, Quiñones, Haaland and Bellingham.Lamine Yamal Is the Only Player to Fit All CriteriaIf we use the patterns from the previous winners to predict who is most likely to win this year, Lamine Yamal is the standout answer. The 19-year-old is a forward who plays in La Liga and won a major trophy last season. Barcelona won the La Liga title in the 2025/26 season, during which Yamal bagged 16 goals and 11 assists. He was also part of the Spain team that won the World Cup over the summer, giving him both international and domestic success. In 2024, Yamal became the youngest player to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or, and he was runner-up last year. Could third time be the charm for the Spaniard? What Goes Against Him?While the data suggests Yamal is the strongest candidate to win the Ballon d’Or, there are a few things that might work against him. Although he won the World Cup with Spain, Yamal only scored a single goal in the tournament, and his performance was overshadowed by the likes of Bellingham, Kane and Mbappé. Winning the World Cup doesn’t guarantee victory either, with only 50% of Ballon d’Or winners during World Cup years having claimed the trophy. On top of that, Barcelona didn’t win in Europe last season. They were knocked out by Atlético Madrid 3-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Ferran Torres Would Have Fit All Three Ferran Torres would have fit all three of our criteria had he not moved to PSG from Barcelona over the summer. The Spanish forward scored 16 goals last season, sharing the Zarra Trophy for the league’s top scorer with Yamal. His most notable success this year came during the World Cup Final. Torres came on as a substitute and scored a last-minute header in the 106th minute to win Spain their second-ever World Cup. Even with his move to PSG, he remains a strong candidate to win the Ballon d’Or. Could Kane Become the First Englishman to Win Since 2001?The Ballon d’Or was last won by an English player in 2001 when Liverpool’s Michael Owen took home the award. This year, there are three Englishmen nominated: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, and the latter could be in with a real chance. Harry Kane won the domestic treble with Bayern Munich last season, including a second Bundesliga title in a row. He was also the league’s top goalscorer for a third season in a row, equaling his own record by netting 36. After having a remarkable season, he added six to his tally at the World Cup. Across all competitions, he scored 61 goals, becoming the first Englishman to reach 60 goals in a single season since Dixie Dean in 1927/28. What Goes Against Him?There’s only one real thing that could hold Kane back from winning and that’s playing in the Bundesliga. No player playing in the Bundesliga at the time of the award has won since Sammer in 1996.Yamal Most Likely to Win According to StatsAccording to the criteria of the last 25 years of winners, Lamine Yamal is the most likely to win the Ballon d’Or. He’s the only one to fit all three criteria: playing in La Liga, being a forward and having won major silverware this season. Ferran Torres would have been the second player to fit all three if he hadn’t moved from Barcelona to PSG over the summer. Harry Kane is also a strong candidate for the trophy, after a record-breaking year with Bayern Munich.If we’re going on purely on the statistics, though, while 14 of the other candidates satisfy two of the criteria, Yamal stands alone as the only player to tick all of the boxes. MethodAwards from 2000 to 2025. There was no award in 2020 due to Covid-19. The assigned clubs are the one players are at when they win the award. If they transferred to a new club over the summer, then the data would reflect that. ‘Major trophies’ in this case refers to the Champions League, World Cup or domestic league title.