Club Feature Page 1
15 Sep 2009

Download (pdf): 1.16 MB

Club Feature Page 2
15 Sep 2009

Download (pdf): 767 KB

Anti -Racism
03 Sep 2009

The Equality Standard for Professional Clubs is a progression from the Racial Equality Standard, which was established by Kick It Out in 2004.

The Standard helps football clubs to recognise existing partnerships, activities and projects they deliver to under-represented groups and individuals, and helps to identify new target markets and fans for the future.

The Equality Standard encompasses all six areas of diversity and aims to ensure that individuals are not discriminated against on the grounds of any of Race, Religion, Age, Gender, Disability and Sexual Orientation.

By following the template of the Standard, clubs will be able to identify areas for development both in their local communities but also internally at the club in terms of their current practices and policies. Professional clubs are also businesses and must adhere to legal policies as an employer. The Standard helps to further develop or enhance those policies.

Professional clubs play such an important part in the lives of football fans across the world and can develop life changing initiatives to encourage greater participation of excluded groups and individuals at coaching, administrative and management levels. Kick It Out is committed to supporting clubs to ensure that equality is an integral part of clubs’ strategic business planning and programme development.

The launch

The Standard was officially launched at BAFTA in London on Thursday 26 March 2009 with a presentation evening featuring the Premier League’s Chief Executive Richard Scudamore, former Chelsea defender Paul Elliott, novelist and comedian David Baddiel and the Chair of the National Association of Disabled Supporters, Joyce Cook.

Over 30 professional clubs have already achieved the Preliminary Level of the Racial Equality Standard with eight of those clubs going on to further achieve the Intermediate Level.

Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore, said: "Clubs can have an extremely positive influence on their fans as well as in the communities around them so it’s important that they show how they embrace diversity and are open and accessible to everyone.

"The new Equality Standard will allow Clubs to demonstrate the high standards that they have achieved in eradicating discrimination of any kind."

Kick It Out Chair, Lord Herman Ouseley, said: “A welter of opportunities lie on a club’s doorstep, from new supporters to potential employees. This framework will help clubs across every division understand how best to embrace this. Crucially it’s designed so ‘buy-in’ comes from boardroom level, which means good practice is filtered down to those who make the club function on a day to day basis.”