THE woes of Southampton Football Club could be contributing to a rise in domestic violence, council chiefs have warned.

Tory council leaders say they are having to spend almost £1m to hire more social workers after a sharp rise in case referrals, particularly domestic violence.

They are linking the increase to the economic downturn, but also say Saints precarious position at the foot of the Championship could be spilling over into relationship problems among supporters.

The city’s education boss Councillor Peter Baillie said the proposed investment in child protection was the highest ever, rising from £800,000 next year to £1.5m by 2012. It will be used to pay for dozens more social workers and support staff.

Social services predict the number of case referrals will stand at 2,500 by April.

Cllr Baillie said: “In a recession people are more anxious, they have more money and job worries. They may be concerned about paying their mortgage.

“If people are not careful that can filter through into strains on relationships and that can come out in violence.”

Cllr Baillie added: “There is anecdotal evidence that when a well-supported football team have a prolonged downturn that can also be felt through relationship problems.”

Southampton Football Club refused to comment on the possible link between its performance and a rise in domestic violence.

The cost of hiring the extra social workers has added to the city council’s budget black hole.

It is having to hike charges and make cuts and savings worth £11.2m.

Latest figures also show the number of jobseekers in the city had risen by more than half in the past year to 5,125.

Meanwhile, domestic violence referrals to the council have doubled.

They now form almost half of all referrals to its child protection service.

Professor Graham Crow, a sociologist from Southampton University, said evidence from past recessions showed the adjustment to unemployment could cause “flashpoints in families”.

He said a male bread-winner losing a job, or even older children return to the family home when out of work, was often quite a challenge to cope with, although causes of domestic violence were difficult to pinpoint.

However, he added that harder times could also bring people closer together.

A spokeswoman for Relate, a charity, said job losses were putting pressure on relationships.

“It is having an impact on couples’ ability to relate to one another.

“There is a lot more anxiety about being able to meet rent or mortgage payments,” she said.

Sandra Horley, chief executive of national domestic violence charity Refuge, said: “Suggesting that the financial climate causes domestic violence merely provides another excuse for this violent crime.

“The bottom line is that violence is a choice a man makes and he alone is responsible for it.”