Abusive chanting against immigrants has become a feature of football matches in England, according to new data from Kick It Out. The anti-discrimination charity received 39 reports of anti-immigrant chanting in the 2025-26 season, more than the previous two seasons combined. Phrases such as “stop the boats” and “send them back” were reported as being heard “at all levels of the game”.
Record number of discrimination reports
The growth in anti-immigrant rhetoric was consistent with a broader rise in reports of discrimination, both at matches and online. Kick It Out received 1,744 reports of discriminatory behaviour in total during the season, a record and a 25% increase on the previous campaign.
Reports of racism remained the most common, rising 19% year-on-year to 792, making up 45% of the total. Complaints of sexist behaviour rose 12% to 216, homophobia rose 46% to 203, antisemitism rose 43% to 93, ableism rose 20% to 89, and Islamophobia rose 88% to 60. Kick It Out said all six categories had seen their highest totals in five years.
Grassroots and match official abuse
Reports of abuse in grassroots football rose for a fifth consecutive year, up 33% to a record 248. The 98 reports of abuse against match officials matched the total from the previous three seasons combined.
Samuel Okafor, chief executive of Kick It Out, said such behaviour reflected a rise in hateful rhetoric in British society but praised the willingness of supporters and players to speak out. “These figures show that discrimination remains deeply embedded across the game at a time when we’re also seeing rises in hate crime and divisive political rhetoric in Britain,” he said. “But they also show that people are more willing to stand up to abuse when they see it, and it’s encouraging to see professional players set that example last season.”
Notable incidents and calls for action
In March, a 60-year-old man received a suspended sentence for sending offensive messages to England Women defender Jess Carter, who went public over the attacks. In the men’s game, Antoine Semenyo highlighted racist abuse he had received, with a charge of racially aggravated behaviour against one man scheduled for trial in September.
Kick It Out’s findings align with those from the UK Football Policing Unit, which noted that improved reporting mechanisms partly explained the increase. Both organisations have called on online platforms to do more to stop abuse. Okafor added: “We will continue to work with football authorities, clubs, leagues, regulators and government to ensure we match the courage shown to report abuse with clear and consistent action so that football is welcoming to everyone.”
