About: Anti-discrimination

16 Jul 2020

Anti-discrimination

The Premier League stands alongside players, clubs, The FA, EFL, PFA, LMA, PGMOL, fans and all those who oppose discrimination in any form.

No Room For Racism

The Premier League’s No Room for Racism initiative demonstrates its continued commitment to equality and diversity, using the power and popularity of the Premier League to oppose racism in football.

The initiative makes clear racism is not acceptable in our competition or wider society.

Making football a welcoming sport

The Premier League fully supports clubs, Kick It Out and football’s other bodies in working together to make football a truly welcoming and inclusive sport.

This includes ensuring offences can be readily reported and that all available sanctions are used to deter offending and punish those found guilty of racism.

The Premier League will work with clubs and fans – and build upon existing partnerships with the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, stewards and supporter groups – to maintain a consistent approach to racist abuse.

The League launched a dedicated reporting system in June 2020 for players, managers, coaches and their family members who receive serious discriminatory online abuse.

Promoting inclusion

In February 2019, the Premier League and its clubs discussed enhancing the range of programmes currently run to promote inclusion and diversity across football.

All clubs agreed that, while good work has been undertaken, more needs to be done to ensure Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) fans and players are supported.

In 2021, the League launched its No Room For Racism Action Plan, outlining a series of commitments aimed at creating greater access to opportunities and career progression for Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups in football, and actions to eradicate racial prejudice.

See: Premier League's six commitments

The Action Plan has been developed in partnership with the Premier League's Equality Advisor to the Board, Paul Cleal, who has been providing independent advice on anti-discrimination policy, programmes and BAME progression within the League and its clubs.

It will be embedded across all Premier League activity, supporting the League’s ongoing No Room For Racism initiative.

The Action Plan has been closely co-ordinated with the principles of The Football Leadership Diversity Code, which will be integrated into the Premier League Equality Diversity and Inclusion Standard that clubs have worked to achieve over the last six years.

No Room For Racism

Since launching in March 2019, No Room For Racism has brought together the League’s work against racial discrimination.

Match rounds have been dedicated to urging fans to take action - to challenge and report racism - and a series of education programmes are provided for fans and primary schools.

This work to promote racial equality sits alongside the wide-ranging action the League and clubs undertake in other areas of diversity and inclusion.

The Black Participants’ Advisory Group of current and former players and managers was set up to ensure the views of black players and coaches are heard and help shape the Premier League's action.

In June 2020, the Premier League, Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and EFL launched a coach placement scheme that will provide up to six BAME coaches per season with a 23-month intensive work placement within EFL clubs.

No Room For Racism sits within the League’s general inclusion initiative, "This is Everyone’s Game".

Back to top ^

Rainbow Laces/Stonewall

Football has the power to bring people together. Clubs and communities are stronger when everyone feels welcome, and it’s down to everyone to make that happen.

That's why the Premier League proudly stands alongside Stonewall in promoting equality and diversity.

As we do each season, the Premier League’s clubs came together between in December to celebrate Stonewall's 2020 Rainbow Laces campaign and showed support for all LGBT people in football and beyond.

At all Premier League fixtures across the two Matchweeks there were bespoke Rainbow Laces pitch flags, ball plinths, handshake boards and substitutes boards. There were also rainbow captain's armbands and rainbow laces worn by players and match officials.

LED boards at the stadiums highlighted the campaign and our social media channels featured a rainbow Premier League logo and promoted the campaign. Each club also highlighted their support for the campaign.

All year round, the Premier League asks all fans to support LGBT people in football and beyond by making them feel welcome. Because when we all play our part, we make football everyone's game.

Reporting abuse

Everyone attending or taking part in a football match has the right to feel safe.

As part of creating a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere, the Premier League encourages everyone to challenge and report abusive behaviour wherever they find it, in stadiums or online.

We advise you to use official channels and be careful not to put yourself, or others, in harm's way.

There are different ways you can report abusive behaviour, at a match or online:

At a match

If you are affected by an incident or witness abuse at a match, where possible it’s best to report this at the time so positive action can be taken.

The stewards can provide immediate assistance or are able to quickly contact the stadium control room, which is staffed by senior safety officials and the Police.

Stewards, who can be identified by their fluorescent jackets, are located at the front or rear of seating blocks, by the entrances to stands and stairwells.

Some stadiums also offer a reporting phone or text line. These details will be advertised in and around the stadium, on club websites and in match programmes.

Online

The Premier League partners with Kick It Out, football’s foremost equality organisation, which offers fans a means to report acts of discrimination at matches.

You can submit information on incidents at matchdays or online using Kick It Out’s Report It! app (download the iOS app or Android app). Or you can use Kick It Out's website reporting form.

Details are always passed directly to clubs or the relevant body for further investigation.

How to report abuse on social media

If you see a post on social media you believe is discriminatory, you can report it to the site or platform where it was posted. They have people who will review your report and decide on taking it down.

Click on the relevant links below for how to report for each platform