Unveiling the Dark Side of Football: Calls Grow Louder for Regulator to Combat Discrimination - CMS Committee Urges Action

Football must be held accountable for how it tackles discrimination by the new

independent regulator, a key parliamentary committee has said.

During the week when a report revealed evidence of systemic discrimination in cricket, the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) committee argues that football cannot be trusted to address issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within its own domain.

The committee recommends incorporating EDI measures into a revised code governing football and granting the regulatory body the authority to enforce and evaluate clubs' EDI action plans.

The Government's commitment to establishing an independent regulator for English football (IREF) was emphasized by Sports Minister Stuart Andrew during a recent gathering of supporters in Manchester. He indicated that this endeavor would be prioritized among the initial bills following the King's Speech in the autumn.

Nonetheless, the Government's stance, as outlined in its white paper on football governance released in February, expressed a different viewpoint. It stated that matters pertaining to EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) should not be immediately encompassed by the regulator. This decision caused dissatisfaction among Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination charity, especially considering that the fan-led review had recommended the inclusion of EDI within the regulator's jurisdiction.

The CMS committee expresses doubt that football will be able to establish appropriate collective standards on its own, citing the limited progress they have seen. According to the committee's report, the Government is urged to establish a regulator in shadow form by the end of the year, and they are concerned that the recommendations to include EDI Action Plans for clubs and oversight of these plans within IREF's jurisdiction have been ignored.

IREF is ideally positioned to receive and publish standardized data regarding compliance with EDI requirements in football. Additionally, it should be responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with equality standards through the implementation of EDI Action Plans.

It is recommended that the Government grant IREF the authority to make EDI Action Plans compulsory as a prerequisite for clubs' threshold licenses. IREF should regularly evaluate clubs' progress in implementing these Action Plans as part of its routine license reviews.

Tony Burnett, the chief executive of Kick It Out, expressed his appreciation for the committee's recommendation, emphasizing that football has taken far too much time to implement the necessary changes to create a more inclusive and accommodating sport.

Boardrooms, coaching, and refereeing still lack diversity, resulting in discrimination towards players and fans at both professional and grassroots levels. Although some progress has been made, the lack of collaboration and limited concrete outcomes in the past decade call for an acceleration of the process.

Therefore, we support the suggestions outlined in the fan-led review, which propose the inclusion of EDI measures in the new Code for Football Governance and the integration of action plans into a club's licensing conditions.

The government is committed to prioritizing equality, diversity, and inclusion in the governance of football. To ensure the growth and preservation of the game for future generations, roundtable meetings will be held in the upcoming months. These meetings aim to advance EDI initiatives throughout the football pyramid, while actively involving key stakeholders such as the FA, leagues, fan representatives, and civil society organizations.

The committee emphasized that the regulator should establish significantly elevated fan engagement standards instead of simply relying on the current standards set by the Premier League. They also cautioned football's authorities to address the new financial agreement among the Premier League, the EFL, and the FA effectively. If these authorities fail to reach an agreement, the new regulator will be granted the authority to impose a solution through arbitration.

However, talks over the 'New Deal For Football' are progressing well, with regular talks taking place between the three bodies.