The programme has offered bespoke education to over 550 supporters who have been discriminatory in stadiums or online, including all 20 Premier League clubs.
Those numbers will increase further during the 2026-27 season after the number of deliverers working in clubs across the Premier League, EFL, Women’s Super League and non-league has increased from one to four.
The success of the programme, created by Kick It Out Fan Education and Engagement Manager Alan Bush in 2019, is highlighted by a reoffending rate of 1.25%, with many offenders going on to educate their peers and report discrimination.
The programme addresses all forms of discrimination, but racism accounts for 41% of the offences referred by clubs or police, making it the most common type of discrimination fans receive education on.
The tailored one-to-one sessions offer fans a chance to understand the impact of their behaviour and provide historical and cultural context to discrimination. The education is designed to work alongside other potential outcomes, including supporter bans.
“Every single session we’ve done has been successful,” says Jake Heath, Head of Fan Engagement at Tottenham Hotspur.
“Participants in the sessions feel at ease when they meet Alan. People want to be able to share and be comfortable in knowing he’s not there to read them the Riot Act, but that he wants to understand and be aware of their behaviour.
“The number of discriminatory incidents that we deal with are few and far between. What’s most important for us is that before they come to the stadium, fans are aware of how we deal with this type of scenario.
“The most significant point I would say is that there hasn’t been any reoffending; that is ultimately the goal.”
The programme is a key part of Kick It Out’s Football United strategy, launched in September 2025, to make a game that welcomes everyone and is united to end discrimination.
“If we go back six or seven years ago, the concept of doing a fan education session was new to everybody across the league,” added Jake. “I think it’s absolutely important to look at education and make it a primary focus when these incidents occur.
“Working with Kick It Out has been really influential in shaping our policies over time. It’s been really beneficial to us and our fans, and to whoever’s been affected by the incident as well.”
Alan added: “Football has always been something that brings fans and communities together.
“If a football fan is part of that community, goes to a game and then is involved in something discriminatory, if we push that back into the community with long bans or lifetime bans without understanding how their behaviour has affected others, then maybe we don’t get a chance to change their attitude or their behaviour, which will then not just impact football but impact society.”
If fans see or hear discrimination in stadiums or online, they can report it to their club or to Kick It Out via www.kickitout.org/report.
