English football experienced a significant hike in racial abuse in 2018, a new study reports. Last season, it rose to a staggering 32 per cent.
The study conducted by an organization specialized in equality and inclusion. There were reports of 422 incidents of racial abuse in 2018, with racism remaining the most common form of discrimination in professional and grassroots football, constituting 65 per cent of reports.
Reports of faith-based discrimination, including Islamophobia and anti-semitism increased by 75 per cent from 36 to 63.
In the professional game alone, reports of racial abuse rose by 46 per cent, while the organization within the English game have increased, and kick it out chief executive Roisin Wood believes the governing bodies face a huge challenge to change this trend.
He said in a statement, “Football reflects the society it is played and watched in and these figures are sadly not surprising. The fact that reports of racial abuse have risen by 43 per cent clearly shows the massive work that all of the football still needs to do challenge this. In 2019, we need to ask the question what can we do better and what is not working?
“The sharp increase in faith-based discrimination is also worrying and represents a challenge to us all- what are we doing to address this intolerance?”
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling suffered alleged racial abuse last season during his side’s defeat at Chelsea while a banana skin was thrown towards Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the London derby with Tottenham Hotspur.
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