The Football Association is offering free counselling and mental-health support to victims of hate and discrimination in grassroots football.
Discriminatory abuse is on the rise at grassroots level. In surveys, 70% of participants, including players, referees and spectators, told the governing body that poor behaviour had a major impact.
In the latest available figures, from the 2023-24 season, there was a 17% increase in charges relating to discrimination and a 13% increase in charges for allegations of serious misconduct in grassroots men’s and women’s football.
The FA is funding support from Sporting Chance, the charity set up by the former England and Arsenal defender Tony Adams, for victims of the abuse. Those who access the service will be offered up to six counselling sessions – with additional support available in exceptional circumstances – with a therapist in person or online. They are also taught self-care methods.
The FA is attempting to crack down on bad behaviour, including handing out tougher sanctions for offences and encouraging participants to report incidents.
It is thought the reported incidents do not paint a full picture of the level of discrimination. Many incidents go unreported, with 70% of grassroots participants telling the FA they are not convinced reporting an incident will lead to a charge. The governing body says 63% of reports result in charges.
The FA has started issuing stronger punishments for offenders. During the 2023-24 season, when 71% of charges were proven, the average ban for discriminatory offences was seven matches. A record 5,500 match bans were issued and offenders were sent on 1,300 hours of educational courses.
The FA’s behaviour improvement programme has been continued this season after a successful rollout last season. It allows the governing body to monitor clubs closely through disciplinary records and respect score data – where the behaviour of clubs is rated by opponents.
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A captains-only protocol was introduced this season, permitting only captains to approach a match official to discuss a decision. Cooling-off periods are being trialled where referees can send teams to each penalty area if a match is becoming heated. Body cameras are also being worn by referees in some leagues to act as a deterrent, after successful trials.
About 15 million people play grassroots football in England. The FA aims to increase the total by 200,000 by 2028.