Discrimination a 'serious and growing challenge' in English football as figures rise

Discrimination remains a "serious and growing challenge" in English football, with reports showing an increase of 25%, a charity has said.

Kick It Out also revealed there had been a "concerning rise" in reports of discrimination in youth football, while the overall figures come amid a backdrop of "divisive political rhetoric in Britain".

The charity, which was founded in 1993 and tackles "all forms of discrimination", said the record reporting numbers also suggest a "continued willingness to call it out".

Kick It Out said it received 1,744 reports in the 2025-26 season, up from 1,398 in 2024-25 - while incidents hit a new high of 1,255.

Reports and incidents differ in that one incident may be reported multiple times.

Online reports went up 5% to 650, professional game reports up 41% to 636, and grassroots reports were up 41% to 458, the charity said.

Kick It Out found reports of all types of abuse also increased - racism up 19%, sexism up 12%, homophobia rose 46%, antisemitism up 43%, ableism up 20% and Islamophobia up 88%.

Abuse aimed at match officials increased "significantly" last season.

The charity said there were 97 discriminatory reports "matching the same level as the previous three seasons combined".

More than a third of those reports were sexist towards women officials, it added.

Kick It Out said grassroots youth football saw reports involving under-18s rise for a fifth consecutive season.

The total of 248 reports is a rise of a third and the highest figure Kick It Out has recorded in youth football.

The charity said it received 142 reports of discriminatory mass chanting during the season, a 41% increase and the highest number recorded, with increases in racist, sexist and homophobic chanting, alongside rises in transphobic and ableist chants.

It also recorded a rise in reports involving anti-immigrant language, with terms such as "stop the boats" and "send them back" reported at all levels of the game.

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The charity's chief executive Samuel Okafor said: "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.

"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."

(c) Sky News 2026: Discrimination a 'serious and growing challenge' in English football as figures rise