Racism Allegations In Football Treble: Review

The number of alleged incidents of racism and other discrimination in football trebled last season, according to a Football Association review.

The three-fold increase was described as "worrying" by FA director Heather Rabbatts.

She told Sky News that reporting incidents of discrimination was essential to retaining the confidence of players and spectators from black and minority ethnic communities.

The last year has seen the FA deal with high-profile discrimination cases involving Nicolas Anelka, banned for five games for anti-Semitism, and Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, fined £50,000 for using racially offensive language.

There were also fines for players including Rio Ferdinand and Mario Balotelli for offensive use of social media.

In total the FA and its partners received 677 allegations of discrimination during the 2013-14 season, up by 202% on the previous year. The majority of these were for alleged racism.

Ms Rabbatts, a member of the main FA board and chair of its Inclusion Advisory Board, said the continued level of abuse was shocking, but may reflect a greater confidence among players, spectators and officials to report cases.

The FA and anti-discrimination campaign group Kick It Out have developed smartphone apps in the last year to make it easier for abuse to be reported.

"Of course it's a worrying sign that we still have that degree of discrimination happening in the game," Ms Rabbatts said.

"But the centrality of the inclusion plan is about football for everyone and instilling confidence that we will seek out and eliminate racial abuse.

"It still shocks me that we have those issues of racial abuse in the game. I think for years, and certainly when I was coming into this role, people would say there has been under-reporting of racial abuse.

"The reason we put so much effort into developing these apps was to ensure that we absolutely instil confidence, and say to people you can report it and we will deal with it."

The figures are revealed in an update to the FA's inclusion and anti-discrimination action plan, an initiative led by Ms Rabbatts to increase representation from black and ethnic minority communities, and women, in coaching and executive roles.

Ms Rabbatts says action is urgently required as black players currently feel excluded when they retire. She points to the 'On Board' initiative, which trains players for careers in football beyond the pitch.

She said: "I think in terms of black players feeling excluded as they come out of the game, it's a very significant frustration, I think it's why it has to be tackled.

"One of the crucial turning points for football will not only be who is sat on the dugouts but who's sitting around the boardroom table so that if you're a black manager you're not the only black person in that entire structure."

Ms Rabbatts also said the controversy surrounding convicted rapist Ched Evans' potential return to football had "cast a shadow", and that the FA will review its rules in the light of the issues raised.

"I think the reputation of football is fragile at times as we know we have these instances that cast a very big shadow over football despite all the good work that many of us are trying to do," she said.

"I think being clear in the future about how we all collectively respond to these matters is a priority.

"Ultimately how someone like Ched Evans comes back into the game will be the responsibility of his employing club, I have no doubt in the light of recent events they will think very carefully about it."