Kick It Out and Football v Homophobia launch new reporting relationship

The relationship will see Kick It Out’s dedicated reporting team handling reports from either organisation, with Football v Homophobia sourcing support for victims through its network. 

Launched in Football v Homophobia’s Month of Action, the collaboration comes after a record number of reports to Kick It Out at this stage of the season. The 139 reports of homophobia across professional football, grassroots football and online have matched last season’s total with five months of the season remaining. 

Football v Homophobia is the third football organisation to strike up a reporting relationship with Kick It Out in the past year. Previous arrangements with Her Game Too and The Frank Soo Foundation are part of a collective aim to boost fans’ confidence in reporting abuse. 

By centralising reports in one place and sharing data, the system is designed to drive greater transparency and accountability, including fines, bans and education. It is also part of Kick It Out’s aim to unite partners as part of its new five-year strategy: Football United. 

Since the start of the 2019-20 season, Kick It Out has received 845 reports of homophobia in football, making it the second most-reported form of discrimination behind racism. 

Four in five reports are abuse from fans, with more than half directed towards players at professional and grassroots level. More than half of the 126 homophobic reports related to mass chanting are about the Chelsea ‘rent-boy’ song, which is now a criminal offence.

Transphobic abuse reported to Kick It Out has doubled in each of the last three completed seasons.  

These statistics reflect Home Office data from last season that show a rise in the number of Premier League and EFL matches where anti-LGBTQ incidents were reported. In grassroots football last season, there was another increase in homophobic offences, with more proven charges of this type of discrimination than any other.

As part of the relationship, Kick It Out will continue to manage reports, working with clubs and governing bodies to monitor trends and drive accountability for offenders, including delivering education. 

Football v Homophobia, which was set up in 2010, will focus on supporting those impacted by this form of discrimination through its experience of LGBTQ+ inclusion and networks.

Chris Paouros, Kick It Out vice-chair, said: “The rise in reports of homophobia to us this season shows that despite progress, football must take stronger action so that LGBTQ+ communities feel a real sense of belonging and respect across the game. That comes from celebrating the community, increasing education, encouraging reporting and ensuring that greater accountability follows when incidents occur. 

“Even though the homophobic chant related to Chelsea Football Club is now a criminal offence, we still receive reports of it being sung, and this season, homophobic abuse at grassroots level has increased sharply compared to last season. 

“We’re pleased to enhance our relationship with Football v Homophobia to back the LGBTQ+ community community, and believe this arrangement will help advocate for a game where everyone stands up to discrimination.” 

Lou Englefield from Football v Homophobia said: “While there has already been a large increase in reports of anti-LGBTQ+ language and behaviour in football to Kick It Out so far this season, it's important to note that incidents of homophobia and transphobia tend to go unreported, according to UK government research.

"A 2024 survey of fans who watch men's football and who are LGBTQ+ reflected a desire for homophobia to be tackled more seriously. However, less than a quarter of fans who said they had experienced or witnessed this type of discrimination went on to report those incidents.

"Through this new relationship, FvH hopes to build greater confidence in the reporting process for all those who are impacted by LGBTQ+-phobia, not just people who are lesbian, gay, bi and trans.”