English Football League statistics: About 900 players suffered cyber violence last season

The English Football League (EFL) claims that approximately 900 players will be abused online in the 2024-25 season. Also according to data provided by the EFL, there were 141 incidents of racial discrimination and more than 5,000 incidents of online violence last season.

The EFL estimates that 17 fans have been banned from attending games by their clubs, and 24 others are facing police convictions for racial discrimination in EFL stadiums. In addition, 26 people have been referred for corrective justice, and more than 80 cases are still under investigation. Last week, during the League One match between Exeter City and Reading, an away fan made racist remarks towards Exeter players, causing the game to be suspended for a period of time in the 74th minute.

The EFL hopes to demonstrate to fans the importance of reporting racist behavior through the Together Against Racism campaign (17-27 October), a week designed to highlight the work the league and its 72 member clubs are doing to combat racism throughout the season.

EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said: "We are taking proactive action, including imposing pitch bans on individuals involved in discriminatory behaviour, referring cases of cyberbullying to the relevant authorities and supporting offenders with behavioral modification so they understand the real-life consequences of their actions. "This is a multi-faceted approach and the work will not stop here."

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said in August that it had received a record number of reports of discrimination at all levels of the game during the 2024-25 season.