Kick It Out has called for a united approach to tackle discrimination and under-representation in English football.
The anti-discrimination charity launched its new ‘Football United’ five-year strategy at an event in London on Thursday.
The targets Kick It Out has set include making all supporters feel welcome regardless of sex, ethnicity, sexuality or religion, boosting representation of South Asian players in the men’s game and of black, Asian and mixed heritage players in the women’s game.
It wants to drive greater representation too among match officials and in football coaching and leadership positions. According to recent workforce diversity data (FA Rule N), many club workforces do not reflect local communities from a gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ or disability perspective.
Kick It Out intends to do this by influencing governing bodies to improve pathways for talent from all backgrounds.
The charity also called on everyone in football to stand up to discrimination with “courage and consistency” in its strategy document.
Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said football has a “unique power” to “bring people together in shared moments that can become community movements”.
He added: “The heart of our new strategy is about capturing that energy and working together across the game to build those community movements to create enduring change.”
Kick It Out chief executive Samuel Okafor said: “Our mission is clear: to unite football to end discrimination. And when we are united, the outcomes can be long-lasting.
“United, we can make stadiums welcoming places for every supporter. United, we can open doors so that players and match officials from every background are represented on the pitch. United, we can break down barriers into coaching and boardrooms so that clubs are more reflective of their communities. And united, we can challenge abuse – in stadiums, online and across the game – with courage, consistency and transparency.
“These are not distant aspirations. They are achievable goals over the next five years where governing bodies, clubs, players, fans, and like-minded organisations work in partnership. Unity and accountability can, and should, turn ambition into impact.”
