Hull City said they had been appalled at alleged discriminatory abuse towards one of their players during Saturday’s Championship fixture against Millwall.

They wrote: “A home supporter has been identified and arrested and we would like to thank Millwall for their swift actions.

“The welfare of our players and staff is of the upmost importance and we will work with the EFL, Millwall and the Metropolitan Police to investigate the matter further.

“We have a zero-tolerance position on discrimination and will continue to support those tackling abuse in all forms.”

Hull Daily Mail report that a person has been arrested following an investigation involving the Met Police, with the Lions slamming the actions of a supporter.

“Millwall Football Club regrets to confirm an incident of alleged discriminatory abuse during Saturday’s match against Hull City,” the Lions confirmed.

“The club is working with the Metropolitan Police, its security staff, and Hull City as part of an ongoing investigation into the matter. A supporter has been arrested and will be subject to further police investigations.

“Millwall Football Club has a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination of all kinds at the club and it will continue to work tirelessly to eradicate it from the sport. For more information on the club’s work in this area, please click here.”

In a statement issued to Hull Daily Mail, the Met added: “Police have arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence directed towards a player during the Millwall v Hull City football match on Saturday, 7 October. The man has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody. Officers are working with both clubs to investigate the incident.”

Meanwhile, a comment left by a social media user who goes by the name of @esky_howe is also being alerted to clubs.

This account has subsequently removed, it is not known if the culprit was the one behind taking it down.

The screenshot below is what had been posted after the Sunderland v Middlesbrough game which played out Saturday lunchtime.

Yorkshire Evening Post said last week that a man in his 50s had been arrested after the alleged racial abuse of a Leeds player at Wednesday’s match against QPR.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson confirmed the arrest of a man from Cork, Ireland saying: “A 58-year-old man was arrested at Elland Road on 4 October on suspicion of a racially-aggravated public order offence. He has been released on conditional bail.”

The Yorkshire Evening Post ads that the abuse targetted at Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville was from an individual in the away section and the incident was reported to police in the stadium. The 21-year-old netted the only goal of the game.

Also last week, ex-Cardiff player Jack Simpson had been charged with misconduct over the alleged use of racist language towards a teammate while he was still with the Bluebirds in their pre-season.

The Football Association (FA) stated the alleged incident took place during Cardiff’s pre-season trip to Portugal. 

He left the club by mutual consent in August despite having another year to run on his contract.

The FA said he has been charged with a breach of “FA rule E3 for misconduct that took place on their pre-season tour to Portugal in July 2023”.

“It’s alleged that the defender’s language towards a team-mate was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper contrary to FA Rule E3.1,” an FA statement said.

“It’s further alleged that this constitutes an ‘aggravated breach’, which is defined in FA rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to race and/or colour.”

Simpson has until Tuesday, 10 October 2023 to respond to the charge.

EFL STATEMENT:

The EFL has today launched its ‘Together Against Racism’ initiative which renews appeals to football supporters to report any incidents of racism and discrimination they see or hear in stadiums and online.

Clubs will also showcase the work that is being undertaken up and down the country to promote inclusion and make Clubs representative of the communities in which they are located.

With support from anti-discrimination charity, Kick It Out, the campaign sees a focused drive from the EFL and its Clubs to combat racism and all forms of discrimination in football.

Across four weekends in October, every EFL Club will run a ‘Together Against Racism’ matchday reminding fans how they can report abuse, so that football and law enforcement authorities can ensure that there are consequences for abusers, while victims get the support they need.

Tackling discriminatory abuse is a key part of the football-wide Love Football Protect the Game initiative which aims to combat all dangerous and illegal behaviour at football grounds across the country.

Building on English football’s shared commitment on equality, discrimination and inclusion, ‘Together Against Racism’ will run concurrently alongside the Premier League’s ‘No Room for Racism’ and the FA’s ‘Enough is Enough’ campaigns throughout October, highlighting the collective approach that is being taken at all levels of the game.

Trevor Birch, Chief Executive of the the EFL, said:

“Football has a platform to effect positive change across society, so we are proud to be collaborating with partners across the game to ensure a welcoming environment for everyone.

“Our clubs are working hard to stamp out unwelcome behaviour from football and via the many measures the game has introduced in recent years we will continue to support them as we look to make the EFL truly representative of the communities we represent.”

The Together Against Racism campaign launch has been supported by former Reading midfielder and Jamaican international Jobi McAnuff who narrated a video on how to report discrimination.

PREMIER LEAGUE STATEMENT:

Ahead of No Room For Racism activation at matches, with players taking the knee, League’s website to offer fans chance to report abuse

All Premier League matches between 7 and 23 October will be dedicated to No Room For Racism, as the League reiterates its call for supporters to challenge and report discrimination, wherever they see it. Players will take the knee at all 20 fixtures to show their unity against all forms of discrimination.

This comes as the Premier League, EFL and The FA joined with other football bodies this week in a unified approach in the fight against discrimination, sending a clear message that racism will not be tolerated at any level of the game.

Report racism to the Premier League

Fans can now report online discriminatory abuse they see targeted at Premier League players, managers, coaches, match officials and their families directly at premierleague.com/reportracism. Each report will be investigated by the League’s specialist team.

Through its online abuse reporting system, which launched in 2020, the Premier League provides support for players and others within football who suffer online hate. The League’s dedicated investigation team tracks abuse and reports it to social media companies for removal. The team also works to identify perpetrators around the world, with legal action taken where possible. In the past three seasons, the Premier League has investigated more than 1,000 cases.

Discriminatory abuse is illegal, causes hurt to those targeted and damages football. The Premier League and clubs are committed to working with the authorities to bring offenders to justice and have introduced tougher sanctions. Those identified and found guilty of discrimination will face punishment, including automatic stadium bans and legal prosecution. This can affect education and employment opportunities and could lead to custodial sentences.

Along with the other English football authorities, the League has lobbied the UK Government in the development of the Online Safety Bill, which was passed recently. We will continue to work proactively with the Government, regulators and social media companies to ensure that combatting discriminatory abuse remains a priority.

Fans who experience or witness discrimination while at a Premier League match should contact the nearest steward or police officer, or report it by using clubs’ confidential text services, which can also be found at premierleague.com/reportracism.

No Room For Racism Action Plan

The ongoing No Room For Racism initiative brings together all the work the Premier League undertakes to tackle discrimination and promote equality. In February 2021, the League launched its No Room For Racism Action Plan, which outlines a series of commitments and targets to promote equality, diversity and inclusion and increase opportunities across the game.

As part of this month’s No Room For Racism activity, a film has been created to showcase the importance of diversity on the pitch and how that has played such a pivotal role in the Premier League era, with players from 121 different nations represented since 1992.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “Football is a global game which brings together communities and cultures, uniting people of all backgrounds. There is no doubt that this diversity has helped make the Premier League what it is and we are committed to ensuring this is reflected across all areas of the game.

“Through our No Room For Racism Action Plan, we are working hard to increase opportunities for people from under-represented groups within football, which includes the development of enhanced coaching and executive pathways.

“We have seen unacceptable incidents of racist abuse targeted at players all too frequently this season, both online and within stadiums, and we will not stop in the fight against racism. Everybody has a role to play to ensure football is inclusive for all, and together we can make it clear there is no room for racism or any form of discrimination.”

Developing coaching pathways

A key part of the No Room For Racism Action Plan is the development of coaching and executive pathways for under-represented groups. The Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme and the Professional Player to Coach Scheme are aimed at increasing the numbers of coaches from black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds, both male and female, providing them with development opportunities at Premier League or EFL clubs.

Of the coaches who have completed or are currently participating on the programmes, 85 per cent are in employment within the professional game. Participants on these programmes will be profiled on Premier League channels during this No Room For Racism period.

Black History Month

With October also marking Black History Month in the UK, the League and clubs will celebrate black players and others who have made an impact in the game, showcasing how diversity makes football stronger.

Wes Morgan – captain of Leicester City’s Premier League-winning side in 2016 and a member of the League’s Black Participants’ Advisory Group – recently visited a Premier League Kicks session at another of his former clubs, Nottingham Forest, to speak to participants about the power of diversity.

Morgan said: “Football has a special ability to bring people from all backgrounds together. You see this at every level and every age group – from grassroots football and community schemes taking place week in, week out around the country all the way up to the professional game.

“The Premier League is home to the best talent from all around the world and that diversity makes the competition stronger. I was lucky enough to experience it during my career, challenging myself against top internationals and captaining a Leicester team alongside team-mates from Algeria to Austria and Japan to Jamaica. Having a diverse team creates diversity of thought and helps build a team. More importantly, it is a reflection of society,

“In my role as part of the Premier League’s Black Participants Advisory Group, we are helping to shape the No Room For Racism Action Plan, which includes measurable targets to combat racism and make the game more diverse in all areas. The message is clear: anybody who doesn’t support this diversity is not welcome in football.”