'Sexism, transphobia and faith abuse rise in UK football'

THE 2024-25 UK soccer season saw a rise in reports of sexism, transphobia and faith-based abuse, said the UK-based anti-discrimination and inclusion charity Kick It Out.

A Kick It Out statement said the charity received 1,398 reports of abuse, up from 1,332 last season.

It said the reports came from people who said they had experienced or witnessed discrimination online or at a grassroots, non-league or professional game. The charity did not identify the abusers.

Sexism and misogyny increased by 67 per cent, while faith-based abuse also saw a sharp rise. Reports of homophobic abuse fell slightly but transphobic abuse doubled last season, said Kick It Out, who incorporate incidents from across professional soccer, grassroots and social media.

Reports of racist incidents in professional soccer rose from 223 to 245, despite a drop in overall reports of racism across all levels of the game.

"These figures show that discrimination remains deeply embedded across the game, but the rise in abuse in youth football should be a wake-up call," Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor said in a statement on Tuesday (5).

"What we're seeing now is that fans aren't just reporting abuse, they're demanding action. There's been a clear shift this season in how people are calling out sexist behaviour, both online and in stadiums, and asking football to treat it as seriously as any other form of hate.

"Fans are doing their part by speaking up. It's now up to football authorities, tech companies and government to show they're listening, and to act."

(Reuters)