A landmark criminal sentence for a former footballer and an unprecedented surge in formal complaints are being hailed as potential turning points in football's battle against sexism and misogyny.
High-Profile Accountability and a Rising Tide of Reports
Last week, Joey Barton received a criminal sentence at Liverpool Crown Court for harmful social media posts targeting pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko. The posts, which also contained racially charged language against Aluko, were related to the broadcasters simply doing their jobs.
This high-profile legal outcome was swiftly followed by the Football Association charging Barnet manager Dean Brennan with using sexist language towards a female referee, a first for an EFL boss. These incidents build on recent cases in non-league football, including a fine for Hemel Hempstead Town and an abandoned match at Coventry Sphinx due to abuse aimed at female officials.
A Culture of Under-Reporting Begins to Shift
According to Hollie Varney, chief operating officer at the anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, this new visibility of consequences is crucial. Research commissioned by the organisation revealed that 85% of female fans who experienced sexism in football never reported it, largely due to a belief that no action would be taken.
"When more positive outcomes are visible, as we've seen in the past month, it can help break the cycle," Varney states. This shift appears to be underway. This season, Kick It Out has received 86 reports of sexism, nearly four times the number at the same stage last year. This includes a record 19 reports involving mass sexist chanting.
"It may sound strange to say that an increase in sexism reports is positive, but we know it's happening and now we are starting to see more people willing to call it out," Varney explains.
From the Stands to the Grassroots: A Pervasive Problem
The abuse reported is stark and pervasive. Chants include "Get your tits out for the lads" and "She's got chlamydia." Female fans have been told to "get back in the kitchen," while officials face a barrage of lewd language the moment they step onto the pitch.
Varney, who also manages a girls' academy side that plays in a boys' league, witnesses this toxicity seeping into grassroots football. She describes facing constant sexist remarks from adult spectators, including shouts that her 12- and 13-year-old players were not "man enough" and shouldn't play if they "can't act like boys."
"People often appear entitled and emboldened to say whatever they like to whoever they like, without fear of consequence," she observes. "That's the part we really have to change."
With sexism now one of the fastest-rising forms of abuse in football, targeting everyone from fans to referees and club staff, the demand for action is clear. The recent legal and disciplinary steps, coupled with a growing willingness to report incidents, are seen as foundational to building momentum for lasting change across all levels of the sport.
