Download our new Football Safety App

Ahead of our final home game of the season, Shrewsbury Town would like to remind supporters to download the Football Safety App.

As part of our ongoing commitment to tackling abuse in football, the club has recently adopted the incident reporting platform, which is supported by former England striker Emile Heskey.

Download the app here: www.footballsafetyapp.com

Designed to address the growing problem of abusive behaviour both online and inside stadiums, the Football Safety App provides fans, players and families with a fast, anonymous way to report incidents in real time.

The system will be active for the first time at Saturday’s home fixture against Cheltenham Town and aligns with the club’s support for both the Unite for Access campaign and Her Game Too campaigns.

Supporters can download the app now from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Heskey said the reaction since launch has been “overwhelming,” with strong interest from clubs across the Premier League and EFL. “But talk alone isn’t enough,” he added.

"It’s not just about discrimination. Players, referees, coaches, families and fans are all affected. Shrewsbury Town formally signing up shows real leadership and a willingness to act. We can’t keep saying abuse is unacceptable and then keep doing nothing about it. This is how change starts, and I hope others now follow their lead"

By joining the platform, Shrewsbury Town and its supporters gain access to a live reporting system that allows supporters, officials and clubs to report abuse wherever it occurs, in stadiums, fan zones, pubs, public transport, grassroots matches and online. This enables incidents to be logged instantly

John Rhodes, Senior Safeguarding Manager and EDI Lead at the club, welcomed the partnership:

“We are delighted to bring the Football Safety App to Shrewsbury Town. This pioneering software gives our supporters a simple and efficient way to report any incidents connected to the club, and we are confident it will become part of the matchday experience.

“We are proud to be among the first clubs leading the way in making football safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

“Our aim is to ensure reporting is simple, accessible and effective, and this app makes that possible.

“Launching it on our Unite for Access and Her Game Too matchday feels especially fitting.”

Heskey’s involvement stems from witnessing the rise in abusive behaviour across the game and the difficulty of escaping it in the digital age.

Having experienced racism during his own career, he believes today’s abuse is more constant and far-reaching due to social media.

As a father of sons in professional academies, he is determined that the next generation does not grow up seeing such behaviour as normal.

All reports submitted through the app are directed to a 24-hour control room, where verified cases are escalated to clubs, online platforms or the police when necessary.  This expands way beyond discrimination. It is any level of abuse from grass roots to the professional game and not limited to match days.

The app is free to download.

Supporters using the app are automatically checked into fixtures and can earn rewards for engagement.

Clubs, meanwhile, receive anonymised data that highlights trends, hotspots and recurring issues.

Shrewsbury Town’s existing reporting channels, including the report a concern email and the Matchday Text Number, will remain available.