A new collaborative effort has been announced to address the persistent, and often overlooked, bigotry directed at East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) communities within British football. Kick It Out and the Frank Soo Foundation are now formally working together, establishing a joint reporting channel to challenge this specific strain of prejudice, whether it’s aimed at professional players or spectators.
The agreement formalises a period of joint awareness work carried out over the last season. It comes as part of a broader, five-year strategy by Kick It Out, dubbed “Football United,” which aims to incorporate external partners to ensure the game is more universally welcoming.
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There has been an alarming, sustained pattern of abuse aimed at ESEA players over the last six seasons. Among the three hundred and seventy-seven total reports of player abuse that targeted nine different footballers, an overwhelming ninety-four per cent were directed at the former Tottenham forward, Son Heung-Min.
While the reported incidents against players saw a slight decrease last season, the abuse aimed at fans tells a different, troubling story. Reports of racism targeting ESEA fans attending games spiked sharply, rising from thirteen in the 2022-23 season to forty-eight last season.
A Coordinated Response
Under the new arrangement, the labor will be clearly divided. Kick It Out will continue to be the primary recipient of reports, working with clubs and governing bodies to secure positive outcomes for victims. They will also oversee monitoring of discrimination trends, using that data to push for systemic change.
The Frank Soo Foundation, named for the first person of Chinese heritage to play in the Football League and the first person of color to play for England, will concentrate on providing support to those impacted by this particular form of racism through its network. The foundation’s mandate is to support ESEA communities and to tell Frank Soo’s pioneering story.
Hollie Varney, Kick It Out’s Chief Operating Officer, noted that incidents against ESEA communities are still common, affecting “one of the fifty-plus professional players in English football or fans who are attending games and are made to feel unwelcome.”
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Varney also pointed to a systemic challenge in the sport’s culture, saying, “Quite often reports of racism towards these communities seem to be taken less seriously, and this relationship seeks to address that by raising awareness and coordinating our approach with the Frank Soo Foundation, whom we have huge respect for.”
The founder and chair of the Frank Soo Foundation, Alan Lau, acknowledged the pressure coming from two distinct forces: the high profile of ESEA footballers in the professional game and wider societal prejudice. Lau believes the alliance will lead to greater visibility and better support. “By working in collaboration with Kick It Out, the issues affecting our communities will be seen by all and we can provide better support for anyone affected by racism towards the ESEA communities across football,” he said. The collaboration establishes a unified front against a prejudice that has been allowed to fester.
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