EFL and all 72 clubs unite for Together Against Racism, with fans urged to report incidents live

The EFL and all 72 of its clubs are uniting across two dedicated matchdays this October in support of Together Against Racism, with players, managers and supporters standing together to send a clear message: racism has no place in the game and must be challenged wherever it occurs. Clubs across the League will host dedicated matchdays and highlight the positive work taking place to tackle racism, support those affected and build a game where everyone feels they belong. This year's campaign encourages supporters to report incidents live, directly to clubs, as they happen, so that clubs and the authorities can intervene quickly, gather evidence and identify offenders. The EFL's own data from last season shows why that matters. 63% of live racism incidents reported directly to clubs led to individuals being identified and action being taken, and a live report was more than twice as likely to deliver an offender identification as a post-match report. Live reporting directly to clubs accounted for 85.7% of identifications, nearly nine in every ten, with the EFL noting that delayed information narrows the window to identify individuals and act. Clubs are also committed to rehabilitative education. To date, more than 550 fans from across English football have taken part in Kick It Out's fan education programme, which enrols supporters who have been discriminatory in stadiums or online. The scheme has a re-offending rate of 1.25%, and many who have completed it have gone on to educate peers and report discrimination themselves. Trevor Birch, Chief Executive of the EFL, said: "Football has a unique ability to bring communities together and give people a sense of belonging. Racism undermines that bond, which is why it remains critically important that the EFL, its Clubs, players, staff and supporters stand united against it wherever it is seen or heard. "Last season, 51 people received bans and a further 15 attended education courses. The message is clear: the more information that is reported, the better the chance of ensuring that acts of hate have consequences." For the sport for good sector, the detail worth noting is the shift from message to mechanism. A campaign that asks fans to act in the moment, and backs that ask with figures on what live reporting achieves, gives clubs and their community trusts something concrete to put in front of supporters, stewards and schools. Source: EFL, 16 October 2026 - https://www.efl.com/news/2026/october/16/efl-launches-together-against-racism-2026-27/