Kick It Out has recorded an all‑time high of 1,744 discrimination complaints spanning the professional game, grassroots football and online platforms during the inaugural year of its Football United initiative. The organization attributes the surge partly to a noticeable uptick in anti‑immigrant rhetoric, but also highlights that stronger reporting pathways—developed in partnership with groups such as Her Game Too, the Frank Soo Foundation and Football v Homophobia—have given more individuals the confidence to come forward. During the 2025/26 season, more than 100 of those reports arrived via the newly established channels, underscoring the impact of the collaborative approach. While the headline figure might suggest a worsening of football’s cultural climate, Kick It Out stresses that the rise in complaints should be interpreted as a sign of growing trust among marginalized communities and the success of its outreach to partner organisations.
Looking ahead, the charity expects the network of reporting partnerships to expand further in the 2026/27 season, creating additional routes for victims and witnesses to flag abusive behaviour. Samuel Okafor, chief executive of Kick It Out, commented on the findings: "In a period where discrimination is on the rise and the sport needs decisive action to become more inclusive and reflective of all communities, football must unite to meet these challenges. Our Impact Report demonstrates a year of progress made alongside both longstanding and new collaborators. Yet we recognise that deeper cooperation will allow us to strengthen our policy work, campaigning, education and reporting programmes, ultimately making the game a welcoming space for everyone." The Year One Impact Report, released on Tuesday, paints a comprehensive picture of the obstacles the sport faces as Kick It Out strives to foster a more inclusive environment.
The report reviews the first twelve months of Football United, a five‑year plan launched in September 2025 that is built around four core objectives: universal inclusion, representation on the pitch, leadership opportunities off the pitch, and a collective stand against discrimination. Key achievements highlighted in the report include: * Over 11,000 individuals participated in Kick It Out’s education programmes, ranging from workshops for coaches to community sessions for fans. * 583 participants completed the "Raise Your Game" development scheme, which equips emerging leaders with the skills to drive equality initiatives within their clubs.
* 148 people took part in the Fan Education module, designed to empower supporters to recognise and challenge discriminatory conduct in stadiums and online. A notable partnership with Guinness 0.0 enabled the charity to extend its training into the hospitality sector.
More than 3,000 staff members at Greene King pubs received instruction on how to identify and respond to instances of discrimination, illustrating the organisation’s commitment to tackling abuse beyond the football field. The 2025/26 season also marked a milestone for transparency: professional clubs, for the first time, published workforce diversity statistics in line with FA Rule N.
This new requirement offers unprecedented insight into the composition of leadership and senior roles across the sport, helping to spotlight gaps and drive targeted interventions. Kick It Out collaborated with over 20 partner organisations to develop proposals for the Independent Football Regulator.
These submissions aim to embed board‑level accountability for equality, diversity and inclusion, and to set measurable representation targets for club boards and senior management teams. Beyond structural reforms, the charity continued its work on a range of pressing issues, including online abuse, sexism and misogyny, faith‑based discrimination, and the inclusion of under‑represented groups. Collaborative projects with specialist NGOs have produced educational resources, reporting tools and advocacy campaigns that address these challenges holistically.
Okafor added: "This is only the first year of the strategy, so we know there is so much more to achieve, but we have ambitious plans for the coming season where we will expand grassroots anti‑discrimination education, increase Fan Education delivery with support from the Premier League and grow Raise Your Game. We are determined to keep building a game where everyone is included, and everyone is united in tackling discrimination wherever it happens." The report’s data and narrative underscore a paradox: while the number of reported incidents has risen, the underlying trend may actually reflect a healthier environment where victims feel safer to speak out and where institutions are more responsive.
By continuing to broaden its network of reporting partners, enhance educational outreach, and push for greater transparency at the governance level, Kick It Out aims to transform football into a sport that truly embodies the values of equality and respect for all participants. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.