Racist and homophobic abuse on the rise in English football as shocking new figures released

Discrimination remains "deeply embedded" within English football, according to the chief executive of Kick It Out, as reports of abuse surged by 25 per cent last season. The anti-discrimination charity recorded 1,744 reports in the 2025-26 campaign, a significant rise from 1,398 in the previous year. For the first time, the number of distinct incidents surpassed 1,000, reaching 1,255. Kick It Out clarified that while one incident can generate multiple reports, the reports-per-incident ratio for the past season stood at 1.39. The increase was widespread across various platforms and levels of the game. Reports of online discrimination rose by five per cent to 650, while incidents in the professional game and at grassroots level both saw a 41 per cent increase, reaching 636 and 458 reports respectively. The charity's data revealed alarming increases across all types of abuse. Islamophobia reports soared by 88 per cent, homophobia by 46 per cent, and anti-Semitism by 43 per cent. Racism reports were up 19 per cent, sexism by 12 per cent, and ableism by 20 per cent. Kick It Out chief executive Samuel Okafor commented on the latest figures (Handout pic from Kick It Out/PA) Samuel Okafor, Kick It Out’s chief executive, stated: "These figures show that discrimination remains deeply embedded across the game at a time when we’re also seeing rises in hate crime and divisive political rhetoric in Britain. But they also show that people are more willing to stand up to abuse when they see it, and it’s encouraging to see professional players set that example last season." Mr Okafor added: "While we recognise that there is a lot of good work ongoing in football to tackle discrimination, we will continue to work with football authorities, clubs, leagues, regulators and Government to ensure we match the courage shown to report abuse with clear and consistent action so that football is welcoming to everyone." The season also saw a 41 per cent increase in reports of discriminatory mass chanting, reaching a record 142 instances. This included rises in racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, and ableist chants. Furthermore, Kick It Out noted a concerning rise in anti-immigrant language, with terms such as "stop the boats" and "send them back" reported at all levels. The 39 reports of this nature in 2025-26 was more than the 37 in the previous two years combined. Despite the stark figures, Kick It Out marked a milestone during the season, delivering its 500th fan education session to individuals found to have discriminated in football, with a reoffending rate of just 1.25 per cent.