Arsenal ban 9 supporters over abuse, racism and discriminatory behaviour
By Joel Masibo, August 11, 2026Arsenal have confirmed that nine supporters were handed football banning orders or stadium bans during the 2025/26 season following offences including assault, racism, antisemitism, homophobia and other abusive behaviour.
The club said the sanctions, which range from one to three years, prevent the affected individuals from attending Arsenal matches for the duration of their bans.
According to Arsenal, three supporters were punished for assault, while three were sanctioned for racism. One supporter received a ban for antisemitism, another for homophobia and one for antisocial behaviour.
The club also revealed that it is assisting police with 13 further investigations into alleged offences connected to Arsenal matches or online activity. The individuals involved remain subject to the club’s disciplinary procedures while the relevant cases are being determined.
Arsenal records rise in online abuse
Arsenal also highlighted the scale of abuse directed at people associated with the club online during the 2025/26 campaign.
Working alongside data science company Signify Group and its Threat Matrix service, Arsenal said it verified more than 17,700 abusive posts and comments targeting players, coaches, staff, supporters and accounts connected to the club.
The figure represented a significant increase compared with the previous season.
The monitoring programme resulted in 267 investigations being completed, with 39 individuals positively identified and referred to Arsenal or other clubs for further action. Nine of those cases were also referred to law enforcement agencies.
Arsenal noted that identifying offenders does not always guarantee that sanctions can be imposed, with factors such as jurisdiction and club affiliation potentially limiting the action available.
Nevertheless, the club said it would continue working with Signify Group to identify offenders, report abusive material to social media platforms and pursue appropriate action.
Garlick issues strong warning
Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick praised the majority of the club’s supporters while stressing that abusive and discriminatory conduct would not be tolerated.
“This season gave us many moments to be proud of and showed once again the role football can play in bringing people together. The overwhelming majority of our supporters help make Arsenal a welcoming, inclusive and respectful place to be. Those standards are a big part of who we are, shaping the experience people have when they come to Arsenal, and how we represent our club around the world.
“Abuse and discrimination have no place at Arsenal, whether in our stadium or online. While these incidents involve a small minority, we will continue to take action when they happen, while doing everything we can to protect our players, staff, supporters and communities.”
Arsenal’s response
Alongside disciplinary measures, Arsenal said education remains a key element of its approach to tackling abuse and discrimination.
Supporters who receive bans are offered an opportunity to have their punishment reduced by completing a one-to-one educational programme delivered by Kick It Out.
The programme requires participants to consider the effect of their conduct on other people and demonstrate a willingness to change their behaviour and attitudes.
Arsenal also said it continues to organise inclusion workshops and community events aimed at educating people about discrimination and abuse.
The club is further supporting campaigns and initiatives designed to promote diversity, inclusion and the voices of its supporters.
Supporters encouraged to report abuse
Arsenal has urged fans who witness offensive behaviour to report it rather than ignore it.
Through the club’s anonymous ‘See Something, Say Something’ service, supporters can text “Foul” to 67777, along with details of the incident and its location, including the relevant block, row and seat number.
The service is designed to allow supporters to report incidents anonymously if they do not feel comfortable approaching stewards directly.
The club has also reminded supporters that abusive behaviour occurring either inside the stadium or online can be reported through its official reporting channel.
This comes as cases of racial discrimination at the just concluded 2026 FIFA World Cup were reported.