Abusive chanting against immigrants in English football on rise, new data reveals
New data from the anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out shows abusive chanting targeting immigrants has become increasingly common at English football matches, forming part of a wider surge in discriminatory behaviour across the game. The charity received a record 1,744 reports of discrimination during the 2025-26 season, a 25% rise on the previous year, with increases recorded across every category it monitors, including racism, sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism and Islamophobia. Kick It Out's chief executive linked the trend to a broader rise in hate crime and divisive political rhetoric in Britain, while also praising players and supporters for speaking out more.
Last season saw 39 reports of anti-immigrant chanting, including phrases such as "stop the boats" and "send them back", exceeding the combined total of the previous two seasons. Racism remained the most reported form of discrimination, up 19% to 792 cases, while Islamophobia saw the sharpest rise at 88% to 60 reports; homophobia rose 46% to 203 and antisemitism 43% to 93. Grassroots football abuse climbed for a fifth consecutive year, up 33% to 248 reports, and abuse against match officials totalled 98. The findings echo those of the UK Football Policing Unit, which noted some increase reflects improved reporting, and both bodies have urged online platforms to do more to tackle abuse.
- Anti-immigrant chanting at English football matches has sharply increased
- Kick It Out logged a record 1,744 discrimination reports, up 25%
- Racism, homophobia, antisemitism and Islamophobia reports all rose
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Discriminatory abuse at English football matches—including racist, sexist, homophobic and other hateful chanting and behaviour—has been an ongoing concern for the sport. Such incidents can occur at professional matches, grassroots level and increasingly on social media.
Kick It Out is the leading anti-discrimination charity monitoring abuse in English football, collecting reports from matches and investigating complaints. Football authorities, police and other organisations also work to identify and respond to discriminatory behaviour, though enforcement remains challenging.
Discrimination in football matters because the sport has a broad cultural reach and serves as a barometer for social attitudes. Creating an inclusive environment where all participants and supporters feel safe is considered essential both for the game's integrity and as part of wider efforts to tackle prejudice in society.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The data demonstrates a genuine rise in discriminatory abuse at football across multiple categories, including novel anti-immigrant chanting using language that mirrors political rhetoric about immigration as an existential threat. Even accounting for improved reporting, the 25% overall increase and sharper rises in Islamophobia and homophobia suggest a real worsening of culture at matches. Well-documented research shows that normalised divisive language in politics creates climates where personal discrimination flourishes, making firm action from platforms, clubs, and authorities essential to protect players and supporters from abuse.
The case against
Whilst discrimination is never acceptable, the analysis risks conflating legitimate political debate about immigration with abusive behaviour, potentially stifling necessary democratic discussion about important policy questions. The absolute numbers warrant contextualisation—39 anti-immigrant reports last season, though concerning, represent a small subset of all matches—and improved reporting explains some of the increase, a caveat that deserves greater emphasis. Rather than presuming direct causation from political rhetoric to stadium abuse, we should examine specific mechanisms such as social media dynamics or club culture, and craft responses with precision that addresses genuine discrimination without chilling legitimate public debate.