The figures come as no surprise to Umar Ali, who plays for Route One Rovers, a semi-pro side in Bradford.
During Ramadan last year, he says he was subjected to racist abuse from away supporters while waiting on the touchline to be brought on.
Ali recalled that it was their first match while fasting; they were hungry, and he felt less patient than usual.
As he prepared to enter the pitch, a fan told him to shave his beard and said he looked like a paedophile.
Another lifted a child of about six or seven and taunted that his wife was probably the same age as the child.
Ali said the men appeared to be in their 60s.
He found it especially distressing because they were older than his father—around his grandfather’s age—yet felt comfortable making such remarks.
He said the assistant referee heard the comments and alerted the referee, who, Ali claims, took no action.
Police were later contacted and the spectators identified, but Ali says he has not been told the outcome.
Manager Mohammed Patel, who was in the dugout, said that while the opposing coaching team apologised for their supporters, he felt the officials failed to remove those directing racist and Islamophobic abuse at his players.
Patel described it as a deeply emotional day and questioned why such incidents are still occurring, calling some of the comments “absolutely horrific.”
He argued that stronger action is needed from the top down. While the club is working with local FAs to tackle the issue, he said decisive, mandatory measures are required.
The Northern Counties East Football League fined the opposing club £300 and issued nine disciplinary points, but Patel said that fails to address the core problem.
He noted that stiffer penalties are often handed out for violent conduct, red cards, or even administrative errors.
“For something this serious, we were far from satisfied with the outcome,” he added.
Patel has been lobbying the Football Association but says he has yet to receive a response.
He said clear precedents and tougher sanctions must be set from the top.
In a statement, the FA said it has introduced tougher sanctions for clubs and individuals, a new behaviour-improvement programme, and penalty-points accumulation charges in the grassroots game.
It added that this builds on measures allowing deductions of league points for clubs that are repeat offenders in cases of serious misconduct.