Arsenal official website news firmly opposes all forms of abuse and discrimination, and takes clear measures to ensure that Arsenal becomes a safe space.
We confirm that 17 fans were suspended for abuse and discrimination in the 2024/25 season. These included 11 fans who had misconduct on the court and 6 fans who made inappropriate remarks online. This number is down from 31 players in the 2022/23 season and 24 players in the 2023/24 season. Every banned fan will be banned from participating in any Arsenal home and away game within one to three years. We also continue to assist the London Police in investigating nine other cases in which all fans involved were suspended from viewing before the case was resolved. The specific reasons for the ban are as follows: In-court violations – 11
Attacks – 3
Sexual language/harassment – 3
Racism – 2
Public Order Violations – 2
Anti-social behavior – 1
Online Violations – 6
Death Threats – 3
Homonophobia – 2
Abuse – 1
We continue to work with the data science company Signify Group to leverage its professional threat matrix services to support our work in combating cyber violence against players and employees. The threat matrix is used to monitor social media channels, helping clubs detect and report harmful content targeting players and employees. We work closely with Signify to identify, expose and act against these abused accounts. Once abuse is detected, we work with social media companies and law enforcement to ensure appropriate measures are taken.
This season, we have verified about 4,500 malicious posts targeting players and employees, a slight decrease from last season and reported these to the corresponding social media platforms. Among them, six confirmed perpetrators were sentenced to one or three years in ban, and one was subject to legal sanctions. Richard Galrick, general manager of the Gunners, said: “In our clubs, there is no place for abuse and discrimination. Although we know that such behavior often comes from a few people, it will not prevent us from taking action against perpetrators identified as Arsenal season ticket holders or members and reporting these incidents to law enforcement where appropriate.”
"We will continue to act quickly and decisively to combat any form of abuse and continue to create an environment where everyone feels safe and welcome.”
Education is an important part of our strategy to deal with abuse and discrimination. Individuals who are suspended have the opportunity to shorten the penalty deadline by participating in one-on-one education programs organized by Kick It Out. Those involved in the project need to discuss the impact of their behavior on others and demonstrate a willingness to reflect and change their mindset. We host inclusive workshops and events in our local communities to support education on abuse and discrimination. We continue to enhance the voices of fans through various events and initiatives, celebrating and supporting diversity and inclusion. If fans witness any misconduct on game day, they can report it to the nearest security personnel or police.
fans can also use our anonymous "say as you see" service by sending a text message "Foul" to 67777 with an event description and location (such as stands, queue numbers and seat numbers). The service protects the anonymity of fans who are reluctant to speak publicly with security personnel.