Cambridge United have confirmed they are the first football club in the UK to formally commit to the Football Safety App, introducing a new approach to incident reporting linked to the club and its supporters.
The club, known as the U’s, currently compete in EFL League Two and have been based at the Abbey Stadium since 1932. Founded in 1912 as Abbey United before adopting the Cambridge United name in 1951, the club has spent more than a century navigating the English football system. Its decision to adopt the Football Safety App Cambridge United initiative reflects a modern response to challenges that now extend well beyond the pitch.
The Football Safety App has been developed to address the growing problem of abuse associated with football, whether online, inside stadiums or in surrounding public spaces. Backed by former England striker Emile Heskey, the platform gives fans, players and families a fast and anonymous way to report incidents as they happen.
The app will be in use for the first time at Cambridge United’s home match against Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday 27 January. Supporters can download it via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store ahead of the fixture.
Emile Heskey said: “The response to the app since launch has been overwhelming, with huge interest from across the Premier League and EFL but talk alone isn’t enough.
“Cambridge United becoming the first club to formally sign up shows real leadership and a willingness to act. We can’t keep saying abuse is unacceptable and then doing nothing about it. This is how change starts, and I hope others now follow their lead.”
By signing up, Cambridge United and its supporters gain access to a real time reporting system that can be used across stadium seating, concourses, nearby pubs, public transport and online platforms, including social media.
The purpose and design of the platform are outlined clearly on the Football Safety App website, which states:
“Trusted by the Game. Driven by Purpose. Unlike generic reporting tools, our app is purpose–built for football.
“It [The app] has been developed in collaboration with experts, safeguarding professionals, and technology partners to create meaningful change and measurable results.”
Rich Cooksley, Head of Operations at Cambridge United, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Football Safety App to Cambridge United. This pioneering software will allow our supporters to have a simple and efficient way of reporting any incidents connected to our club, and we are confident it will become part and parcel of the supporter experience.”
Sarah King, Safeguarding Officer, said: “As the first club to sign up, we are proud to be leading the way in helping to make football safer and more enjoyable for everyone. Our goal is to ensure the reporting process is simple, accessible and effective, and this app makes that possible.”
Heskey’s involvement stems from his own experiences of abuse during his playing career and his concern that digital platforms have made such behaviour more constant and harder to avoid. As a father of sons in professional academies, he has spoken about the importance of ensuring younger players do not grow up viewing this conduct as normal.
All reports submitted through the app are reviewed by a 24 hour control room. Verified cases are escalated to clubs, online platforms or the police where appropriate. The service applies to all forms of abuse and is free to download.
Users are automatically checked into fixtures and can access rewards linked to engagement. Clubs benefit from anonymised data and insight that highlight patterns, locations and repeat issues connected to incidents reported through the Football Safety App Cambridge United rollout.
