Kick It Out announced that it has logged a historic 1,744 discrimination complaints spanning professional football, grassroots initiatives and online platforms during the inaugural year of its Football United programme. The surge in reports, the organisation explained, is linked to a noticeable uptick in anti‑immigrant rhetoric as well as stronger reporting pathways forged with partner groups such as Her Game Too, the Frank Soo Foundation and Football v Homophobia. These collaborations have given more individuals the confidence to come forward with incidents they might previously have kept to themselves. During the 2025/26 season alone, over one hundred of the complaints were submitted through these newly established channels, underscoring the value of the expanded network.
While the headline figure might appear alarming, Kick It Out cautions against interpreting the rise solely as a sign that football culture is deteriorating. Instead, the data reflects growing trust among diverse communities and the effectiveness of the organisation’s outreach to its partners. Looking ahead, the charity expects the roster of reporting partnerships to broaden further in the 2026/27 season, creating even more avenues for people to report abuse and discrimination.
Samuel Okafor, the chief executive of Kick It Out, commented: "At a time when discrimination is on the rise and we need decisive action to make the sport more inclusive and representative of all communities, football must unite to meet these challenges." He continued, "Our Impact Report shows a year of progress made alongside both existing and new partners. With deeper collaboration we can strengthen our policy work, campaigning, education and reporting programmes to make the game welcoming for everyone." The Year One Impact Report, released on Tuesday, paints a vivid picture of the scale of the problem the charity is tackling as it strives to build a more inclusive and representative sport. The report covers the first twelve months of Football United, a five‑year strategy 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.
In addition to the reporting figures, the report highlights a range of other milestones achieved in the strategy’s opening year. More than 11,000 individuals participated in Kick It Out’s education programmes, while 583 people took part in the Raise Your Game development scheme and 148 engaged in Fan Education sessions.
A notable partnership with Guinness 0.0 enabled the charity to extend its work into public houses, delivering discrimination‑recognition training to over 3,000 Greene King staff members. The 2025/26 season also marked a historic moment for transparency in the professional game: clubs released workforce diversity data for the first time under FA Rule N, shedding light on representation at senior and board‑level positions across the sport. Kick It Out collaborated with more than 20 organisations to submit proposals to the Independent Football Regulator, helping to raise board‑level accountability on equality, diversity and inclusion and to set representation targets for club boards and senior leadership roles. Beyond data collection, the charity worked closely with partners on a suite of pressing issues, including online abuse, sexism and misogyny, faith‑based discrimination, and the inclusion of under‑represented groups.
These joint efforts aim to create a safer, more respectful environment both on‑ and off‑the field. Okafor added, "This is only year one 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." He concluded, "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 findings reinforce the notion that while the number of reported incidents has risen, this reflects a healthier climate of reporting and greater awareness rather than a simple deterioration of attitudes.
By strengthening partnerships, expanding education, and demanding greater transparency from clubs, Kick It Out aims to continue driving cultural change throughout English football. The charity’s ongoing work, supported by stakeholders across the sport, seeks to ensure that every fan, player and staff member feels safe and valued, regardless of background, identity or belief. As the Football United strategy moves into its second year, the focus will remain on deepening grassroots programmes, broadening fan‑focused education and reinforcing the mechanisms that allow individuals to report discrimination swiftly and confidently. For those interested in supporting the cause, Kick It Out encourages participation in its initiatives and reminds readers that the organization remains open to feedback and collaboration.
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