According to the organization, it received a record-breaking 1,007 reports from grassroots, professional, and social media sources.

Kick It Out CEO Tony Burnett stated that helping victims of abuse is still the organization’s “top priority.”

“The significant increase in reports from across the game is alarming,” he said.

“It also strengthens our resolve to combat discrimination in all aspects of football.”

“Behind each of these statistics is someone who has sadly experienced discrimination, and Kick It Out’s top priority is to support victims of abuse.”

According to the findings of the report:

1. A 65.1% increase in reported discrimination occurrences over the previous season
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2. Racism continues to be the most commonly reported form of discrimination, accounting for nearly half (49.3%) of all claims.
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3. The number of reports of online harassment has increased by 279%, from 74 to 281
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4. Reports of sexist behavior/misogyny increase 400% from 16 to 80.

However, Kick It Out adds that the increase in the number of occurrences may indicate increased knowledge and a stronger readiness on the part of fans to report discrimination.

“While we continue to work tirelessly to ‘kick it out,’ we call on fans, clubs, leagues, and governing bodies to assist us in this cause, and we are encouraged that the number of reports per incident continues to increase, indicating that people are becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behavior and more likely to report abuse when they see it,” Burnett added.

“Our figures give us a snapshot of what’s going on across the game, but we don’t have the full picture because clubs, leagues, and governing bodies aren’t currently required to share their reporting data.”