Tackling discrimination in football - how you can help

Tuesday 18 Mar 2014
Discrimination in football? Hear It. See It. Report It.

The FA today launches the Reporting Discrimination campaign - a series of short films designed to help you help us eradicate discrimination from the beautiful game.

Whether it be on the playing fields in your local park, or surrounded by thousands of people at a top-flight game – discrimination has no place in football and if you witness it, we want to you to report it.

With the help of former Premier League players Graeme Le Saux and Dion Dublin – the animated films show exactly what to do if you come across discrimination while attending or taking part in a football match.

If you play the game and witness discrimination the same applies. Hear it, see it, report it. Below is a video telling you exactly how.

If you play the game and witness discrimination on the pitch - here is how you can report it

Le Saux, capped 36 times for England, said the importance of the campaign cannot be underestimated.

He said: "I was delighted to be involved in presenting these films on behalf of The FA.

“When discrimination takes place at any level of the game, we need to ensure that we can take positive action, and the best means of ensuring that is to encourage players and supporters to report it.

"These films will help explain to players and supporters both the importance of reporting discrimination and highlight the many ways in which they can do so."

The films will be widely distributed across the professional, semi-professional and grassroots levels of the game.

“See It. Hear It. Report It.”

Reporting Discrimination in football 

FA board member and chair of the Inclusion Advisory Board Heather Rabbatts added that it is vital these steps are taken so that people in the game know exactly what to do if they come across discriminatory language or behaviour.

She said: “We know under-reporting of discrimination of in the game is an issue, therefore instilling confidence is key.

“The FA and the Inclusion Advisory Board has worked with stakeholders across the game in developing these films which hope to convey how easy it is to report.”

Kick It Out also provide a free downloadable app – making it even more straightforward to report anything you see.

Chair of Kick It Out, Lord Herman Ouseley, added: "Kick It Out welcomes any material that will increase knowledge amongst players and supporters of how to report discriminatory incidents.

"The free downloadable Kick It Out app features in the films and offers a quick, easy and discreet way of reporting incidents anonymously."

For more information on how you can play your part in eradicating discrimination from the game click on the links below to download The FA's Reporting Discrimination booklets.

Reporting Discrimination - Professional and Semi-Professional Players

Reporting Discrimination - Professional and Semi-Professional Supporters  

By FA Staff