The FA recently teamed up with the Gay Football Supporters Network with a view to providing Liaison Officers who can advise and educate Premier and Football League clubs on homophobia in the game.

The start of the 2007/08 season saw a change in football ground regulations with homophobic abuse now deemed punishable and the GFSN’s Richard Howgill recently discovered that the Madejski Stadium outfit are top of the league when it comes to training their staff.

“I met the Stadium Safety Officer and the Chief Steward and outlined what we are trying to achieve and they were very supportive and positive about the campaign.

“I saw many practical aspects of stewarding and how they’re trained to handle homophobic chanting outside the ground on match days,” said Richard.

“All in all, it was an incredibly positive experience. Reading are well on top of what needs to be done and are very open to helping future initiatives in the local area.”

GFSN Campaign Officer, Chris Basiurski, explained how the change in ground regulations came about and their hopes for the future: “21% of all football supporters polled in a recent survey said they had experienced homophobic abuse and 73% of those regularly attend professional football matches.

“Homophobic chanting or abuse prevents many gay people actively participating in football either as a player or a supporter so we see this as an opportunity to make a difference to the situation while working towards a non-discriminatory atmosphere.”

The FA and the GFSN launched the Liaison Officer campaign at Charlton Athletic’s The Valley stadium in August with Soho Square also advising on the Gay and Lesbian World Cup which takes place in London next year.

Abuse and discrimination in football can be reported by contacting 0800 085 0508 or email footballforall@TheFA.com.