The non-league football season has only reached October, and it feels like there is a consistent topic from the action across the divisions this season. It’s not the goals, it’s not the ‘cupsets’ and it’s not the latest rant to a club’s media team from an irate manager.
It’s something far more serious. Racism.
Local news outlets and social media have recently seen an abundance of games being abandoned because of incidents of alleged racism, and a player from a club in our Borough has allegedly been the victim of the latest ugly tirade in non-league football.
Kempston Rovers’ Spartans South Midlands Premier Division clash at Harlow Town was abandoned in the 94th minute on Saturday, 27 September, after the visiting players walked off the pitch at the Harlow Arena after allegations of racist abuse.
Read: Kempston Rovers players walk off the pitch following allegations of racial abuse at Harlow Town
On the same day, Hitchin Town FC were forced to release a statement saying they were investigating reports of racist and abusive language during their game against AFC Dunstable at Top Field.
“This type of behaviour is totally out of character with the environment we have all worked hard to create at Hitchin Town FC, and we are hugely disappointed by these reports”, said the club in a statement released on social media two days later.
These are just two of the alleged cases already this season, including more high-profile incidents such as the one against Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo when his side faced Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield in August.
You also don’t need to search very far for racism to jump out at you from the comments sections of social media pages.
While writing this opinion piece, there have been more examples surfacing, such as the social media abuse suffered by Blackpool’s CJ Hamilton following their 2-2 draw against Luton Town, while Peterborough United players have suffered similar fates.
Anti-discrimination charity, Kick It Out, received 1,398 reports of discrimination in the 2024/25 season, marking a continued rise from the season before, in which 1,332 incidents were recorded, making last season’s number the highest figure ever recorded by the charity.
It also represents more than double the number of reports received just four seasons ago. So what is happening?
“Keep politics out of football”
There are two schools of thought, the first being the personal responsibility of football fans. The increasing frustration and anger of everyday life have often spilled over into football grounds, and this has been reaching boiling point in recent years.
This is no excuse and my simple message as a football fan to fellow football fans: rein it in and cut it out.
The Bedford Independent asked Kick It Out why they think there has been a rise in alleged incidents of racism at football matches.
“We have received a spike in reports to us overall since July compared to the same timeframe over the last five seasons, and we know that non-league abuse is up too”, said a Kick It Out spokesperson.
“It looks like the current political climate is making more people feel emboldened to be discriminatory at football.
“That’s why it’s more important than ever that football is united; from fans, to clubs to governing bodies and authorities.
“There is a great strength in the diversity of football in this country and, like the strength of the English football pyramid – including non-league – it must be protected so that all communities feel welcome to take part in, watch or work in football.”
Kick It Out also backs players and staff at football clubs who take matters into their own hands.
“We would always advocate for people to stand up to discrimination and believe it’s important that players are empowered to take their own course of action”, added their spokesperson.
In my view, and backed up by Kick It Out, there is a direct correlation between the rise of race-baiting politics and the increase in racism at football matches.
It has now become abundantly clear that the racism that was always there has now been unleashed – and accepted – because of the unchallenged rise of populist rhetoric.
When you see racism pouring out of unattributed social media accounts, amplified by algorithms and pushed to the front of a stage led by powerful people who claim we are being “invaded”, it’s of little surprise that those racists now feel emboldened to act.
These growing incidents occur when bigotry is given permission, and is no longer confined to the darkest corners of the internet.
In addition, when we live in a society that labels the individuals who call out racism as worse than the perpetrators themselves, it is all too simple for the anger and aggression to win out.
Whether we like it or not, politics is engrained into every part of our life, and that includes football. Fans bring their politics inside football grounds, even if many don’t like to admit it.
As former Birmingham Post and Liverpool Echo editor, Vincent Kelly so rightly puts: “Football has always been more than a sport in this country – it’s a mirror of our communities, our culture, and our values.”
What can the FA do?
The second school of thought is the perceived inaction of a Football Association who won’t – or can’t – act in the best interests of the game.
Racism in football is unfortunately not new, but it has been left to fester amidst a governing authority who have not historically treated it with the importance it deserves.
In the FA’s defence, their new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy for 2024-2028 does recognise the problems, but at what point do useful words turn into actions that can be measured?
In a world where racial tensions feel like they’re at boiling point, and the temperatures consistently rising, can strategies and words really have the desired effect?
I would argue the time has passed for words.
Back in 2012, a 20-year old referee operating in the United Counties League at step five of non-league football was handed a three-game ban and fined for “not acting in the best interests of the game”.
This was in response to questioning why Bedfordshire FA were holding a retirement party for its then Chief Executive, Peter Brown.
The questions were asked because Mr Brown had already resigned from the FA Council after sending a racist joke via email to his colleagues.
That referee appealed the punishment, and was asked to attend a disciplinary hearing at Wembley Stadium headed up by former Premier League official, David Elleray – a man who is no stranger to the topic at hand.
Mr Elleray would later in 2014 be caught up in his own racism scandal, causing the Football Association to order the entire FA Council to take up diversity training, with then Chairman, Greg Dyke calling it “overwhelmingly old, white and male”.
Elleray later stood down as chair of the FA Referee’s committee after a further separate allegation of racism in 2021.
I use this perhaps self-indulgent example, because that 20-year old referee who was banned for asking questions was me.
It was a chastening, blunt experience, headed up by powerful people at FA HQ. I never officiated another competitive game and in my view, the attitudes across the many facets of the Football Association have not materially improved in the 13 years since.
It is also an example of how some of the better known names at the Football Association can be outdated in their views, and – in the words of Mr Dyke – became “increasingly irrelevant”.
New FA programmes or same old, same old?
The institution of the FA has recognised there is an issue, but progress has been painfully slow.
The Bedford Independent approached both Bedfordshire FA and the Football Association, asking what action was being taken to stamp racism out of football for good.
Disappointingly, considering the high diversity in our county both on and off the pitch, Bedfordshire FA did not respond to our questions – despite an extended deadline.
However, the Football Association did.
“We strongly condemn any discriminatory, abusive or unacceptable behaviour, either on the pitch or from the sidelines, and we have clear standards of behaviour which we expect all grassroots football clubs, coaches and players to follow”, said an FA spokesperson.
“We have introduced a new behaviour improvement programme and penalty points accumulation charges in the grassroots game, identifying the worst offending clubs for incidents of behavioural offences such as spectator behaviour and dissent, along with poor overall matchday respect scores.
“This builds on the steps taken to allow for deductions of league points from clubs that are repeated offenders of serious misconduct.
“This is a collective responsibility and we welcome and fully support action taken by leagues and clubs to help tackle this unacceptable behaviour in our game.”
The FA also highlighted ongoing programmes in their response to our questions including, Inspiring Positive Change Through Football, ‘Love Football Protect The Game’ and ‘Enough is Enough’.
These intertwined programmes include proposed tougher punishments such as penalty points accumulations, revamped sinbins, continued league points deductions, and a “new Grassroots Code of Conduct designed to reinforce the positive standards of behaviour”.
However, the searches I have conducted have brought up no such incidents of any of the above punishments being handed out for incidents of alleged racism. We would welcome any addition from readers who can find an example.
Put your money where your mouth is
The Football Association need to stand up and put their money where their mouth is.
Ongoing four year strategies and buzzwords can only do so much, but past experience and indeed, recent testimony, show that incidents of racism are often swept under the carpet and explained away with ‘strongly worded statements’.
It’s about time that our governing bodies put this issue at the top of their agenda, otherwise this won’t be the last time a news desk reports on an abandonment for players and officials facing racism, and the result could be far worse than a team simply walking off.
Fans can continue to report discrimination whenever they see it or hear it via the Kick It Out website kickitout.org/report or via their social media channels or app.
And let’s not forget, you too can call out racism directly wherever you see it – be that on social media on even amongst your friendship group. If we ignore it, it won’t go away.
