Reports of racism and other discrimination in English football rose by 21 per cent last season to 887, according to figures released by the Football Association on Thursday.
The number of complaints dealt with by anti-discrimination group Kick It Out also rose significantly, up 38 per cent to 393.
High-profile incidents during the season included Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli receiving a one-match ban for retweeting an image of racial stereotypes, Stoke defender Robert Huth being banned for two matches for taking part in a transgender guessing game on Twitter, and Wigan owner Dave Whelan’s six-week ban for remarks he made about Jewish people.
It was also revealed that Balotelli had been targeted by 4,000 racist messages on social media.
There were 124 cases reported to the FA, 723 involving the grassroots game, and in terms of the FA incidents, 47 cases involved the professional games.
Mark Ives, the FA’s head of judicial services, said the rise showed people now had confidence in reporting incidents of discrimination.
“The important thing for me is that figures for both reports and convictions continue to rise, as it indicates people have an increased confidence in what constitutes discrimination and how to report it,” Ives said.
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