Kick It Out reports record discrimination complaints in English football

Kick It Out received a record number of discrimination reports across English football during the 2025-26 season, with the total surpassing 1,000 for the first time.

The anti-discrimination charity’s annual report revealed 1,744 reports were submitted across the professional game, grassroots football and online spaces. Incidents reported in both professional and grassroots football increased by 41 per cent, while online reports rose by five per cent.

Kick It Out said the figures highlight the scale of the challenge facing the game, but also reflect a growing willingness among players, supporters and participants to report discriminatory behaviour.

“The numbers show discrimination remains a serious and growing challenge across the sport at a time of political and social tension, but that record reporting numbers suggest a continued willingness to call it out,” the charity said in its annual report.

Racism remained the most commonly reported form of discrimination, accounting for 45 per cent of all reports. The report also found record numbers of complaints relating to sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism and Islamophobia during the campaign.

Responding to the findings, the Premier League reiterated its commitment to tackling discrimination across the game.

“The Premier League and our clubs condemn all forms of discrimination, and we encourage fans and players to challenge and report abuse wherever they see it,” a league spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that combating discriminatory abuse remains a priority through initiatives including the Matchday Observer Programme, the No Room For Racism campaign and dedicated resources to identify and tackle online abuse.

“One incident of discriminatory abuse is one too many,” the statement continued. “We work closely with our clubs, expert partners and relevant authorities to ensure they are dealt with as swiftly and severely as possible.”

The Premier League added that sanctions can include stadium bans, legal prosecution and, in the most serious cases, custodial sentences.

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