Much more must be done to combat racist abuse in football, says Committee

In a report published today, the Commons Culture, Media, and Sport Committee have demanded that the Football Association (FA) set an international example by tackling all forms of discrimination and abuse in the sport.

Although the situation has improved since the 70’s and 80’s, stories of abuse are still common.

The report has argued that a transparent and consistent method of reporting this criminal behaviour is severely lacking.

The Committee have released a plan to tackle discrimination at the same time as encouraging equality in football.

The report calls for efforts to being made at league and club level to ensure successful prosecutions in cases of racial abuse.

John Whittingdale MP, Chair of the Committee, said, “We believe it is for the FA to take the lead and set the example for everyone, from football authorities at all levels to the grassroots groups, to follow".

The report also outlines a series of recommendations for the FA to stamp out institutionalised racism. The Committee implores the FA to develop procedures for stewards to follow. This will ensure that all staff at club grounds are capable of reacting swiftly and consistently to incidents of abuse.

Mr. Whittingdale also stressed the importance of ethnic minority candidates being present in the game as coaches and referees. “More needs to be done to increase the diversity of the pool of candidates, to embed the values of equality and diversity”, he said.

The Committee says that the most equitable way to introduce greater diversity among football managers and on boards is to encourage transparency and consistency of recruitment processes.