Kick It Out calls for tougher sanctions as football discrimination hits record high
Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out reports a record 1,255 incidents of discrimination in English football in the 2025–26 season, up from 960 the previous season. CEO Samuel Okafor demands stronger penalties, with racism being the most reported form.
Kick It Out has reported a record high number of discrimination incidents in English football, with 1,255 cases recorded across all levels during the 2025–26 season—a 31% increase from the 960 incidents in the previous campaign. The organization also received 1,744 reports of discrimination, a 25% rise year-on-year.
Racism leads the rise
Racism remained the most prevalent category, with 792 cases reported—a 19% increase. Homophobia saw a 46% spike to 203 reports, sexism rose by 12%, and ableism by 20%. Antisemitism increased by 43% to 93 reports, while Islamophobia jumped 88% to 60 cases.
Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor said racism is “deeply ingrained” in football but mirrors wider society. He stressed the need for tougher sanctions: “Tougher sanctions are needed, and I believe tougher sanctions will come, hopefully in the next few weeks, where people will face the consequences of their actions.”
Player’s ordeal
Umar Ali, a player for semi-professional side Route One Rovers in Bradford, recounted being racially abused during Ramadan last year while waiting to come on as a substitute. The abusers, described as men in their sixties, made Islamophobic and racist comments, including about his beard and his wife. Ali said the assistant referee heard the remarks and informed the referee, but no action was taken. Police were later contacted and identified the spectators, but Ali has not been told of any outcome.
His manager, Mohammed Patel, said the opposition coaching staff apologized, but the match officials should have removed the abusive fans. The Northern Counties East Football League fined the opposing club £300 and deducted nine points, but Patel called that insufficient: “We’ve seen harsher punishments for violent conduct on the pitch or red cards, even administrative mistakes. Something as serious as this, we were absolutely not happy with the result.” Patel has lobbied the FA without response.
FA defends new measures
The Football Association stated it has introduced tougher sanctions for clubs and individuals, a new behavior improvement program, and penalty points accumulation charges in grassroots football. Despite this, Patel and others argue that more robust action is needed to combat discrimination from the top down.
