Exeter City is supporting the EFL’s Together Against Racism campaign at the Devon Derby against Plymouth Argyle on Thursday, October 23.
The match, broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event will see City highlight that football is a game for everyone, and everyone should feel safe and welcome at St James Park.
We all have a responsibility in the fight against racism and it's up to us to stand up and report any incidents.
The players will be proudly wearing special warm up t-shirts that highlight the campaign and we will be showing information on the big screen, social media and matchday programme.
Just last week at City's match against Reading there was a reported incident of Racism towards an Exeter City player from the away end. The incident was reported to the fourth official, and the match was paused whilst the officials assessed the situation, followed by a Tannoy announcement, in line with EFL protocols.
Everyone at Exeter City is extremely disappointed by this. We will do all we can to identify the individual involved and work with the relevant police forces to take appropriate action once identified.
Manager Gary Caldwell, said he was frustrated and disappointed by the incident. He added: “This is a problem which is becoming more and more prevalent, not just in football or in sports, but across society. It’s incredible to think that we are in 2025 and some people still think it is acceptable to shout racist comments.
“Strong action should be taken and I hope authorities in football can act and try to do something to change it. These people are not true football fans, and I genuinely believe that if you can identify them, they should not be allowed to enter a football stadium. We need to tackle these issues with zero tolerance."
At Exeter City we believe that football is a game for everyone, everywhere, and we are proud of the welcoming atmosphere that you create at St James Park every matchday.
However, last season there were still 141 incidents of racist abuse at EFL grounds and more than 5000 incidents of online abuse, with more that likely went unrecorded. To tackle the rise in online abuse and protect players, the EFL employs Athletia, a social media monitoring system that reviews public posts relating to players and officials across EFL Clubs.
The League also continues to work with social media platforms and the Football Policing Unit to ensure perpetrators are identified and sanctioned accordingly. Racism will not be tolerated, and we stand together to remove it from our game. Those engaging in racist abuse face up to five years in prison and football stadium bans of 10 years.
Last season, 17 fans were banned from their Clubs and 24 faced police convictions for racist abuse at EFL grounds, with many more being referred for restorative justice or still under investigation.
Exeter City strives to ensure it is truly reflective of the diverse communities it represents and stands side by side with players, managers, supporters and the EFL to tackle racism in our game.
One Club. One Community. Together Against Racism. If you witness racist or discriminatory abuse, you can report it directly to the Club through Kick It Out, the Club’s reporting mechanisms, or by alerting a steward.
Exeter City will take swift and firm action against anyone identified in making racist or discriminatory behaviour, working with the relevant authorities to ensure perpetrators face club sanctions and police action.
Report an incident
If you hear something on a matchday that you believe is unacceptable, then take action.
Report any incident to a steward as soon as you hear it. You can text anonymously: HELP ECFC to 62277.
Please visit: kickitout.org/report and efl.com/inclusion/report-discrimination for more information.