Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination organisation has revealed a troubling surge in reports of discriminatory behaviour during the 2022/23 soccer season. With a staggering 1,007 reports, there has been a remarkable 65.1% increase compared to the previous year. These reports encompass incidents of discrimination across professional games, social media platforms, and grassroots soccer.
Of particular concern is the 27.4% rise in discrimination reports within the professional game, which includes the Premier League, English Football League, domestic cups, European and international competitions, the Women’s Super League, and Women’s Championship. The organisation has recorded 484 cases in this category alone.
Originally established in 1993 as an anti-racism body, Kick It Out expanded its scope in 1997 to combat all forms of discrimination. In the latest data released, the organisation revealed that racism accounted for 49.3% of all reported incidents during the designated period.
The reporting period also unveiled a disturbing fourfold increase in reports of sexist and misogynistic behaviour, skyrocketing from 16 to 80 cases. Kick It Out expressed concern over the massive spike in online abuse directed at female players and supporters, amplifying the issue further. Additionally, reports of Islamophobic incidents experienced a 300% surge, while faith-based discrimination witnessed a slight decrease overall.
Social media abuse witnessed an alarming rise of 279% compared to the previous season, constituting 28% of the total reports—an increase of 15.9% from 2021/22.
At the grassroots level, 43.4% of the reports originated from matches involving under-18s or younger players, with racism accounting for over half of the reported incidents.
In response to the findings, a spokesperson for the Premier League emphasised their commitment to combating discriminatory and racist abuse in football and society. They acknowledged that there is still much work to be done and highlighted their active efforts to remove abusive online posts. The Premier League also provides support to those affected by such abuse.
The English Football Association expressed disappointment regarding the rise in discrimination and misogyny cases, affirming their ongoing collaboration with partners in English football to eradicate this societal issue. They emphasised the importance of reporting incidents to ensure appropriate actions are taken against the perpetrators.
Kick It Out emphasised that the increasing reports per discriminatory incident rate for the fourth consecutive year suggest a growing willingness among fans to report instances of discrimination. CEO Tony Burnett emphasised the alarming rise in reports and reiterated Kick It Out’s dedication to addressing discrimination comprehensively.
He called upon fans, clubs, leagues, and governing bodies to unite in the cause. Burnett also stressed the need for a centralised discrimination reporting mechanism within soccer to confront the issue with the full force of the sport.
These numbers presented by Kick It Out offer only a glimpse into the extensive scale of discrimination, underscoring the urgent need for a collective and robust response within the soccer community.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
