Dateline contacted the FA and requested an interview in London for Football’s Racist Reputation. They were not able to provide anyone to speak with us at that time. A spokesperson from the FA provided Dateline with the below statement in regards to some of the issues raised in our episode.
FA Spokesperson: “The FA stands firmly against all forms of discrimination and one of our key strategic objectives is to use our influence to deliver a game free from discrimination. We are striving to ensure our sport is a safe environment for all, which truly embraces diversity and inclusion, and challenges hateful conduct both on and off the pitch. We take all allegations of discrimination extremely seriously and would urge anybody who has been subject to, or a witness of incidents of discrimination, to report it to The FA or Kick It Out immediately so it can be investigated thoroughly.
“In late 2021 we launched A Game For All, our latest equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, which outlines our ongoing commitment to actively tackle discrimination, and will ensure this remains a core priority for English football for years to come. It follows the success of our previous equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, In Pursuit of Progress, by continuing to focus on tangible action and collaborative work across the game to create an enjoyable and even safer environment for all.
“We continue to be proactive in tackling online discriminatory abuse, having led English football’s social media boycott in 2021, which was joined by sporting organisations, governing bodies and high-profile individuals across the UK and Europe. We also continue to engage with the UK government on the Online Safety Bill, as well as consistently urging social media companies to act faster to tackle hate on their platforms. We will not stop challenging this issue until tangible changes are made and users are better protected from abuse.”
For more on UEFA’s actions to counter racism and discrimination: https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/news/0256-0f8e70d1f5fd-c982ef234981-1000--empowering-referees-to-act-against-racism-uefa-s-three-step-pro/
For more on FIFA’s actions to counter racism and discrimination: https://www.fifa.com/media-releases/fifa-and-fifpro-join-forces-to-combat-social-media-hate-speech
Watch the documentary, 'Football's Racist Reputation' via SBS On Demand.
