FA Chairman David Bernstein has spoken of the significance of English football’s Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Plan as the Government has also welcomed its ratification.
The FA Board agreed the Plan following close consultation in recent months right across the game, including The FA, the Premier League, Football League, National Game, players’ associations and campaign groups. It has subsequently been well received by Rt Hon Maria Miller MP, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
She said: “We welcome the action plan from the football authorities, setting out a way forward to tackle discrimination within the game.
"While we have made significant progress in this area over the last two decades, recent incidents have shown a need for concerted action. We want to see this action plan implemented and the football authorities to show strong leadership on anti-discrimination at both the professional and grassroots levels of the game. The Sports Minister will continue to work with the football authorities to make progress in this area.
"We are encouraged by football's proposals to improve the diversity of coaches, supporting those from BME backgrounds and their education plans to ensure all those in the game are fully aware of what is and isn't acceptable.
"We are pleased that football will fully support Kick It Out as an effective campaign group across all forms of discrimination. We will respond to the football authorities action plan in full in our response to the Select Committee in the coming weeks."
The Chairman said discussions were ongoing with regard to set sanctions for offences and revealed that he has personally undertaken wide consultation, including current and former players. “We have taken on board the comments and observations and concerns that they have," said Bernstein.
“I have to say I believe they are now reflected in the papers we have put out. It is a great start but a lot of work to be done. Some of the things will happen fairly quickly, some of those things will take quite a period to enact but I think we are on the right road.”
FA Board member Heather Rabbatts echoed the positive mood, adding: “Just the fact we are engaged in a live conversation on the sanctions and tarriffs is evidence of the progress we have made. As the Chairman says, this is now about active conversation.
“What will be important will be the deliberation amongst the different constituencies of football, it will ultimately come back to the regulatory responsibility of The FA to consider. I think everybody is aware of the importance of looking at this matter now very closely.
“I think what black players are seeking to feel confident about is that the family of football comes together to ensure that we deal with these matters. As the Chairman says, what is actually really significant about this is that it is about every constituent part of football coming together.
“This is about managers, the players associations, the Premier League, the Football League as well as ourselves coming together to say we are all united. We have all a series of actions that we have to undertake, our respective responsibilities. I think it is that unity of purpose which I believe is the first time we have achieved this at this level. That will respond to not only the issue of black players having confidence but across the entirety of the game.”
The Chairman also reiterated that confidence must apply to all involved in football, including should a gay player ever choose to come out publicly. This was underlined by The FA’s Opening Doors campaign earlier this year and the widespread call for a ‘so what?’ attitude in football regarding sexuality.
“The word confidence keeps coming up in these conversations. The confidence of people to believe the reception they will get when they take those sorts of actions will be positive. One of things that came up in my conversations with people was a concern that there was not confidence in reporting incidents and issues. That percolates down from the top of the game right down to the grassroots.
“So having the structures in place and the knowledge that people who have got issues, whether it be from the gay community or any other community, that they are going to get listened to, maybe in confidence if necessary to begin with at least, and get a really sympathetic response is absolutely key.”
Sue Law, The FA’s Head of Equality and Child Protection, reinforced the wide focus of the Plan.
“It is vitally important to remember that while matters of racism have been very evident, the plan is not only about racism but about inclusion in all its forms,” she said.
“That is our commitment across the game. The FA will lead on the FA corporate work and we will support the County FAs in delivering across the grassroots game. The professional game will deliver on their initiatives.
“We are absolutely committed to community engagement and increasing the number of black, Asian and minority ethnic coaches, referees and players, administrators. We have to continue to learn from progress in the other areas and create a culture where everybody is confident the authorities will deal with incidents of racism, anti-semitism, islamaphobia, sexism, abuse of disabled people, homophobia.”
Click here to read the Plan in full.
