Tackling inequality in football becomes 'no-go area', says Kick It Out

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/18/tackling-inequality-no-go-kick-it-out

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The chairman of the equality body Kick It Out has warned that senior positions in football remain "a bastion of white male domination", with most officials much more comfortable ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away.

The Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, is due on Monday to attend a meeting of the committee that will decide his fate in the row over sexist emails sent from his work address, and Kick It Out's Lord Ouseley issued a forceful challenge to those running the game.

"In effect and in reality the top of the football pyramid is still a bastion of white male domination and finds difficulty in having to face up to the challenge of change which, if tackled seriously, would mean giving up some space to allow the participation of women, black, Asian and disabled people as equals within its decision-making structures and as employees at all levels," he said.

"Some in leadership positions are trying to move policies and practices forward positively but progress, while notable and helpful, remains painfully slow."

While paying tribute to the progress made by Kick It Out and its supporters over the past two decades, Ouseley said that with a handful of exceptions the idea of seriously tackling inequality in the game had become a "no-go area" for many within football.

"More often than not there is little or no interest whatsoever in the boardrooms or the senior management teams for any high-profile equality and diversity activity, and most clubs and some of the overarching bodies would be much more comfortable for it to go away as an issue," he said.

"In fact, many leaders in football hold the view that there is no longer a race or discrimination problem and it is time for Kick It Out to pack its bags and move on," added Ouseley, who is expected to include the comments in the programme for the organisation's 20th-anniversary dinner on Tuesday night.

"Wearing the T-shirts, pinning on the badges and waving the banners once a year during the weeks of action is regarded as sufficient demonstration of their commitment to equality and diversity. Going beyond that is regarded as unnecessary and unjustified and has become a no-go area of activity for many."

Scudamore had been expected to attend the Kick It Out dinner on Tuesday night at Wembley with other senior figures from the game. Before then, the Premier League audit and remuneration committee – which comprises the Chelsea chairman, Bruce Buck, the former Blackburn Rovers chairman John Williams, the Manchester United director David Gill and Stoke City's chairman, Peter Coates – will meet to decide how they should handle the fallout from sexist emails Scuamodre exchanged in private with the DLA Piper lawyer Nick West.

The contents, seen by a former PA, were published by the Sunday Mirror just over a week ago and led to a storm of criticism. On Tuesday the FA inclusion advisory board chaired by Heather Rabbatts will meet to consider its response and whether the game's governing body was right not to charge Scudamore, who has apologised for the emails, with bringing the game into disrepute.

Rabbatts has said there was increasing evidence the Premier League has a "closed culture of sexism" and that Scudamore should seriously consider his position. The Premier League strongly denies Rabbatts' claims about its culture and practices.

In a statement, the Premier League said: "We do not recognise this characterisation of the working environment at the Premier League, nor do we believe that it can be supported by the facts. The chief executive has already apologised for any offence caused and a proper review of all the evidence is now under way within the Premier League's established and rigorous procedures. This process is not yet concluded and it is therefore not possible to offer comments in detail. However we will make a further statement in due course. The Premier League continues to be fully committed to treating all staff fairly and on merit, regardless of gender."

Kick It Out, which is jointly funded by the Football Association and the Premier League, also released statistics showing that the number of in-stadium complaints reported by fans for the 2013-14 season rose by 443% to 79.

However, the increase could be considered as a positive because it shows an increased willingness to report discriminatory behaviour. The organisation launched a new app this season making it easier for fans to report abuse anonymously. In all, Kick It Out received 281 complaints from across the game.

A consultation with 200 professional players revealed that 57% of players had witnessed, and 24% been subjected to, racist abuse in stadiums.

More than nine in 10 thought fans abusing players was "common" or "extremely common" and 39% believed abuse between players was "common" or "extremely common".

The players consulted wanted to see a swifter and more consistent response from the police and the FA, with harsher penalties for those found guilty. The consultation also found that nine in 10 thought that social media had contributed to a rise in abuse and players want to see it policed more effectively.