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Rise in reports of football discrimination this season

Kick It Out said the number of racist incidents reported in football had risen by a third. Credit: Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport

The number of incidents of discrimination reported in football has increased this season, anti-racism group Kick It Out has said.

The group said complaints had increased by more than a third on the previous campaign, while the Football Association said it had seen an increase of 70%.

Kick It Out director Roisin Wood said the number of complaints does not reflect the true scale of the issue, writing in the Guardian that the 184 reported so far "barely scratch the surface of a widespread problem".

She added that one of the biggest problems it faced was dealing with the high number of offensive posts on social media.

The figures come shortly after police announced they would be investigating reports of racist and abusive behaviour by Chelsea fans on a train from London to Manchester on Sunday.