The FA and Kick It Out have announced a rise in reported cases of discrimination during the 2014-15 season, but say the figures are down to increased awareness and confidence in the reporting process.
The statistics, which are compared to those reported during the 2013-14 campaign, highlight a breakdown of discrimination cases The FA has investigated and dealt with over past season as well as complaints made directly to Kick It Out.
Mark Ives, The FA’s head of judicial services, said: "The important thing for me is that figures for both reports and convictions continue to rise, as it indicates people have an increased confidence in what constitutes discrimination and how to report it.
If you witness discrimination, Report It
“We envisaged this happening two seasons ago when we began to introduce new and clearer procedures for reporting discrimination and dealing with related cases.”
“At the higher echelons of the game, isolated incidents still occur on the field, and, off the field, and we continue to work closely with clubs when fans’ engage in discriminatory chanting.
"The increase in offences being reported is ostensibly a good thing because it demonstrates that the avenues in which to do so are easier to access than ever before and that those reports will be acted upon.”
The report revealed that The FA and County FA’s have seen a 21 per cent increase overall with 887 reported incidents in total.
Kick It Out has seen the level of complaints it receives leap up 38 per cent with 393 incidents handled by the organisation throughout the season.
Offences relating to race continue to dominate at both professional and grassroots levels though incremental increases in disability and gender abuse have been recorded.
The FA and Kick It Out have released their joint findings
Kick It Out has also seen a significant increase in the level of incidents reported relating to discrimination based on sexual orientation and abuse of faith.
All but three of the faith-based reports were of an antisemitic nature with Islamophobia making up the remaining complaints.
Also revealed with the report is that The FA has reduced the time taken to conclude cases at both professional and grassroots levels, but social media incidents reported have gone up from 15 in the 2012-13 season to 40 last season.
Lord Herman Ouseley, Kick It Out's chairman, said: "It is widely acknowledged that more people are prepared to make reports about discrimination in football due to an increased confidence in the regulatory system investigating complaints thoroughly with the aim of achieving effective outcomes.
"At Kick It Out we are particularly concerned about increasing levels of hate crime in wider society, coupled with perceived worrying levels of prejudice, and how this will impact on the work being done across the game to effect zero tolerance of any aspect of discriminatory conduct and prejudiced attitudes.
“We are urging all authorities and agencies to take action, particularly through education, to tackle this phenomenon in a concerted way, not only for the benefit of football but also for the whole of society in the UK."
A number of anti-discrimination initiatives have been launched by The FA and Kick It Out
Reports are recorded from a range of sources, from phone calls and emails into any one of the 52 County Football Associations across the country, direct to The FA HQ at Wembley, or via a number of Kick It Out’s own mechanisms.
The Kick It Out app has been its most-used reporting mechanism relating to incidents within professional football for two consecutive seasons since its release in July 2013.
During the 2014-15 season, the app was responsible for 36 per cent of complaints in the professional game made to Kick It Out and an updated version was launched earlier this month to help provide stronger evidence to support investigations and provide greater confidentiality.
The app contains new functionality allowing users to incorporate video, audio and photo evidence within complaints, and social media abuse can also be reported now too.
The app is available to download for FREE on the App Store and Google Play.
Click here to download a PDF of The FA's reporting statistics.
Click here to download a PDF of Kick It Out's reporting statistics.
