Kick It Out announced that it has logged an unprecedented 1,744 discrimination complaints across the professional tiers, grassroots football and online platforms during the inaugural year of its Football United programme. The surge in reports, the organisation explained, is linked to a noticeable rise in anti‑immigrant rhetoric, but also to stronger reporting pathways that have been forged with partners such as Her Game Too, the Frank Soo Foundation and Football v Homophobia.
These collaborations have given more individuals the confidence to come forward, resulting in over one hundred submissions through the newly‑established channels in the 2025/26 season alone. While the headline figure might suggest a worsening of football’s cultural climate, Kick It Out cautions against a simplistic interpretation. The increase, they argue, reflects a growing willingness among fans, players and community members to speak up when they encounter prejudice, as well as the success of outreach efforts that have deepened trust between the charity and a range of grassroots organisations.
The charity expects the network of reporting partners to expand further in the 2026/27 season, which should continue to boost both the quantity and the quality of data on discrimination incidents. Samuel Okafor, the chief executive of Kick It Out, underscored the broader context in a statement: "At a time when discrimination is on the rise and we need decisive action to make football more inclusive and truly representative of all communities, the sport must unite to confront these challenges.
Our Impact Report demonstrates a year of progress made alongside both existing and new partners, yet we recognise that deeper collaboration will enable us to strengthen our policy work, campaigning, education and reporting programmes, ultimately creating a more welcoming environment for everyone." The Year One Impact Report, released on Tuesday, paints a vivid picture of the scale of the task ahead. It details the first twelve months of Football United, a five‑year strategic plan launched in September 2025 with four overarching ambitions: inclusive participation for all, equitable representation on the pitch, leadership opportunities off the field, and a collective stand against discrimination.
The report also highlights a series of complementary achievements that illustrate the breadth of the charity’s activity. Education has been a cornerstone of the strategy. More than 11,000 individuals took part in Kick It Out’s educational workshops, ranging from school‑based sessions to community‑focused seminars.
Additionally, 583 participants enrolled in the Raise Your Game development programme, which is designed to nurture leadership and coaching skills among under‑represented groups, while 148 people completed the Fan Education module aimed at equipping supporters with the tools to recognise and challenge abusive behaviour. A notable partnership with Guinness 0.0 extended the charity’s reach into the hospitality sector. Over 3,000 staff members from Greene King’s network of pubs received training on how to identify and respond to discriminatory incidents, illustrating how the fight against prejudice can be embedded in everyday environments beyond the stadium.
The 2025/26 season also marked a historic moment for transparency in the professional game. For the first time, clubs published workforce diversity statistics in line with FA Rule N, shedding light on the representation of women, ethnic minorities and other under‑represented groups in senior and board‑level positions.
Kick It Out collaborated with more than 20 organisations to craft proposals for the Independent Football Regulator, seeking to embed board‑level accountability for equality, diversity and inclusion, and to set concrete representation targets for club leadership. Beyond structural reforms, the charity continued its work on specific forms of abuse. It partnered with a range of allies to tackle online harassment, sexism, misogyny, faith‑based discrimination and the broader marginalisation of minority communities.
These joint initiatives included awareness campaigns, policy advocacy and direct support for victims, reinforcing the message that discrimination in any guise will not be tolerated. Okafor concluded with a forward‑looking vision: "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. 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 underscore both the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead for football in the UK. By strengthening reporting mechanisms, broadening educational outreach, and fostering greater transparency within clubs, Kick It Out aims to transform the sport into a space where diversity is celebrated and prejudice has no foothold.
The organization invites fans, players and stakeholders to join the movement, reminding everyone that collective action is essential to sustain the progress made during this inaugural year of Football United. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.