Football discrimination cases rise

03 March 2015 06:46

The number of reported incidents of discrimination since the start of the football season has increased, the Football Association and anti-discrimination group Kick It Out said.

Reports to the latter have risen by more than a third, while English football's governing body has seen an increase of 70 per cent.

The FA's head of judicial services Mark Ives told the Guardian newspaper that the rise is more to do with people being confident enough to report the abuse, rather than an increase in the number of incidents.

He said: " It may seem strange to say that it is good to see cases increase from 477 last year at grassroots level to probably 800 this year, but we believe anecdotally the problem itself is not increasing, and that this represents people feeling more confident about reporting abuse."

But Kick it Out director Roisin Wood, who described those responsible for the discrimination as "a stubborn element", said the number of complaints does not reflect the true scale of the issue.

Writing in the Guardian, she said: " The reality is the level of complaints submitted to us this season, despite showing a leap from 136 to 184 when compared to the midway point of the 2013-14 campaign, barely scratch the surface of a widespread problem."

Wood said one of the biggest challenges facing them in dealing with complaints is the high volume of hate crime posts on social media, describing it as "a massive task".

The latest figures are revealed as police continue to examine mobile phone footage following reports of racist and abusive behaviour by Chelsea fans on a train from London to Manchester on Sunday night.

Four men were asked by police to leave the train at Stoke station.

Last month, Chelsea fans were filmed on the Paris Metro shouting racist chants and refusing to allow a black man on to a train carriage before the Champions League game against Paris St Germain. The club suspended five supporters in connection with the incident.

Another group of fans returning from Paris were heard shouting racist chants at London's St Pancras station.

Source: PA