Sharp rise in football racism as incidents go up by more than 50% in one year
• More than 150 incidents reported to police last season
• Figures spark calls for action to combat hate crimes
• Figures spark calls for action to combat hate crimes
More than 150 football-related racist incidents were reported to police last season, Home Office figures show, a rise of more than 50% on the year before and more than double the number from three seasons ago.
The figures, revealed by Home Office minister Susan Williams, show three years of increases in reported incidents across England and Wales, with a sharp rise from 98 to 152 between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Previously there had been a decline in reported incidents of racially charged non-violent abuse, such as chanting or verbal intimidation, from 99 during the 2013-14 season, to 78 in 2014-15, 68 in 2015-16 and 70 in 2016-17.