FOOTBALL has come a long way since the dark days of the 80s, when pitched battles outside stadiums were commonplace.
Home Office statistics released last month show that both football arrests and new banning orders have decreased for the third year running.
Yet we should not simply dismiss the behaviour of Stoke fans who vandalised Vale Park on Tuesday night as a solitary abhorrence.
Hooligans smashed windows, destroyed urinals and attempted to set fire to a toilet block during a Checkatrade Trophy clash between Port Vale and Stoke Under- 21s. Another man was filmed jumping on a car.
For al...