Reports of abuse in football have almost doubled so far this season

New figures show there have been 326 reports of abuse, up from 168 at this point in the 2024-25 season.

The number of reports of online abuse increased from 75 to 149, while reports in the professional game have increased from 53 to 101, and grassroots football has also seen an increase from 40 to 76.

In the summer, England Lioness Jess Carter said she had been the target of racist abuse during Euro 2025, and removed herself from social media. A 59-year-old man from Great Harwood was arrested by Lancashire Police on suspicion of malicious communications and has since been released under investigation.

The first match of the Premier League season between Liverpool and Bournemouth was halted in the first half when Cherries’ forward Antoine Semenyo reported that he had been racially abused by a member of the crowd. A 47-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested, and has been banned from every football stadium in the UK as part of his bail conditions.

Spurs Women forward Jess Naz this week posted on Instagram saying she had been the target of abuse following her side’s penalty shootout victory over Aston Villa in the Women's League Cup on Tuesday.

Further down the football pyramid, three matches have already been abandoned this season after reported incidents of abuse. Salford City’s pre-season friendly against York City was called off in the 85th minute, while Sporting Khalsa’s FA Cup tie against Hereford FC and Tividale FC’s Midland League Premier Division match against 1874 Northwich was also called off.

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out launched a five-year strategy earlier this month to ensure greater accountability and accelerate change across the game. “Football United” aims to significantly increase top-level representation for players and officials by 2030.

Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor said football must unite further to protect and celebrate the diversity in the game.

He added: “The rise in incidents and reports to us this season are concerning and appear to be reflective of what’s happening in wider society.

“But it’s encouraging that people are reporting to us, showing that they will stand up to discrimination when it happens.

“We’ve seen this across football too, where offenders have been held accountable following high-profile incidents such as with England defender Jess Carter and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo. That must continue.

“Now more than ever, it’s important that football is united in tackling discrimination and that every case has a consequence, whether that’s prosecutions, bans, fines, or education.

“But as witnessed this week with Tottenham forward Jess Naz, online abuse remains a huge challenge. We’re working with online regulator Ofcom to add better protections and hold social media companies to account.”

Photograph by Michael Steele/Getty Images