The football association hotline received 170 reports of on-pitch violence at amateur clubs in its first six weeks, free newspaper Metro reports.

The 24-hour hotline number receives calls at the rate of 10 a week, although not all reports are an emergency.

‘But we are pleased that amateur clubs know how to reach us so that we can deal with cases where necessary, together with the justice ministry,’ a football association spokesman told the paper.

The association says it will report on how many cases have been followed up and what sanctions were imposed in the next football season.