Racism is widespread in English football with police having to deal with hundreds of incidents from the top of the game right down to grassroots level , an investigation has revealed . It also revealed that Chelsea supporters have been involved in the highest number of reported racist incidents as they travelled to and from matches on trains . It follows the high-profile case of a black man who was prevented from boarding a train in Paris by Chelsea fans as they sang a racist song , with five of them due in court this week . Chelsea supporters have been involved in the highest number of reported racist incidents . The information , gathered from 24 police forces across the country , shows there have been over 350 incidents since 2012 . But as that only accounts for around half the police forces in the country , the actual figure is likely to be much higher . The charity Show Racism The Red Card said the number of incidents shows that racism is a societal problem and it was particularly shocked by the number of incidents of racist abuse at children 's matches . The British Transport Police said since 2012 it had dealt with 15 incidents of alleged racism involving Chelsea fans , the most of any club in the country . Manchester United were second with 10 incidents , followed by Leeds with 10 , West Ham with eight , Arsenal with four and Portsmouth with four . Chelsea fans united with a banner stating 'Black or white , we 're all blue ' ahead of Burnley match . A club spokesman for Chelsea said of the investigation : 'The club 's position on discriminatory behaviour is clear and we work closely with relevant authorities on their investigations . ' Greater Manchester Police reported 46 incidents , which included a man cleaning a toilet in a stadium being told 'that 's a f****** black man 's job , you f****** n***** ' and a manager at a children 's game being told ' I 'll do you , I 'm gon na wait for you outside , I 'm going to do you , you f****** n***** ' . The force also said that on two occasions a letter was written to a specific footballer containing racist abuse and during a game someone shouted 'what is this the United Nations , how many chinks and w*** do you need ? ' . Hertfordshire Police recorded 11 incidents of alleged racist abuse at children 's football games , while Northamptonshire Police said that during a non-league game a man was spat at and racially abused before eventually having his leg broken in a strong challenge . Some Chelsea fans were involved in an incident on the Paris Metro , and supporters have worked hard in the aftermath to show that there is no racism at Stamford Bridge . Gavin Sutherland , campaign co-ordinator at Show Racism The Red Card , said : 'This data from police forces around the UK shows that although football clubs have taken strong action against people using racist language inside stadiums , racism is a real problem within society . 'People who exhibit racist behaviours in 2015 are doing so , in the main , away from football grounds . 'Especially worrying are the incidents of racist abuse at youth team football matches . People engaged in racist abuse at these venues know that they are more likely to get away with it , because of facilities , a lack of stewarding and security , but the impact on young people will be considerable . 'Primarily , they are being exposed to racism , which in itself is frightening , but also it may influence their own behaviour . ' Other incidents included Cleveland Police reporting repeated monkey sounds and gestures during a Middlesbrough v Blackburn game in November last year and Devon and Cornwall Police said a man was headbutted and racially abused during a non-league game . Chelsea 's programme cover for the match against PSG carried a clear message : 'We are all blue # equality ' Surrey Police said a referee received racist insults during a kids ' game and Essex police said a footballer refused to shake hands with a player from the opposite team before racially abusing him . Due to the fact that some police forces were unable to provide the information or did not reply to the request , Mr Sutherland said there would certainly be a greater number of cases . 'These incidents , although shocking in themselves and how geographically widespread they are , will be just a part of the picture , ' he said . 'These are the incidents that have been reported . There will certainly be a greater number unreported and under-investigated . 'Show Racism The Red Card has always stated that the reason racism manifests in football is that it is a societal problem . 'The campaign works with young people and adults not just to educate against racism , but encourage the use and development of critical thinking skills to break down the misinformation that supports racist beliefs . ' A club spokesman for Chelsea said of the investigation : 'The club 's position on discriminatory behaviour is clear and we work closely with relevant authorities on their investigations . '
An investigation has revealed a widespread racism problem in England . Information from 24 police forces - only around half of the number in the country - reported over 350 incidents since this week . Chelsea supporters have been involved in the highest number of incidents . Charity Show Racism The Red Card said racism is a societal problem .