NEW CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN ENGLISH FOOTBALL
Added: (Mon Apr 01 2024)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN ENGLISH FOOTBALL
Milton Keynes, UK: 1st April 2024
Today sees the launch of a new campaign to improve Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at the very top of the English game. The campaign, EDI For Football, seeks to extend the representation of all minorities on the pitch, break down barriers so that elite football better reflects society, and ensure that everyone has access to playing football at the highest level, regardless of their ethnicity, religion and gender.
“In spite of many initiatives and schemes from football clubs and authorities, it is disappointing to watch Premier League games and see so little evidence of diversity and inclusion out on the pitch,” says Kaidon Serrano (yo/yo), Head of Policy and Research at the EDI For Football campaign. “Our research shows that LGBTQIAS+ players are rarely named on teamsheets, and while some ethnicities have performed relatively well, many are still very poorly represented. The best way to improve this situation would be to award teams additional points for meeting EDI targets and to deduct points for poor performance.”
The campaign proposes the award of additional points per game played, regardless of the actual result, as follows:
- One point when at least three LGBTQIAS+ players* play for at least 60 minutes
- One point when at least two players from different underrepresented ethnic minorities (to include at least one from Lebanese, Palestinian, Filipino, Qatari, Eritrean, Malawian, Greenlandic, Basque, Tatar, Aztec, Pashtun, Maori) play for at least 10 minutes
- One point when at least four disabled players play for at least 20 minutes (acceptable impairments include mobility, stamina, mental health, dexterity, memory, behavioural, hearing and vision)
In addition, the campaign proposes the introduction of sanctions when teams engage in unacceptable or hateful behaviour, including:
- Goal celebrations - Instead of enjoying scoring a goal by running towards the crowd and cheering, players with white privilege should quietly take the knee and acknowledge their unfair systemic advantage. Players of other ethnicities would be free to celebrate as normal, but should not engage with white players in case they are distracted from taking the knee. Teams who break these rules would have three points deducted.
- Identity signalling - The more players who demonstrate their support for EDI, the more likely we are to achieve the perfectly equal society we all desire. Three points would therefore be deducted from teams whose players do not display the correct flags on their boots, die their hair according to their gender, and print approved EDI slogans on their shirts.
- The EDI league table: The team with the worst performance on all these metrics over the course of the season will automatically be relegated, regardless of games won or lost. This will ensure that football is recognised as much for its global EDI leadership as for its entertainment value, bringing even more enjoyment and satisfaction to its supporters.
EDI For Football welcomes the opportunity to discuss these exciting initiatives with football clubs and authorities and looks forward to making English football the first sport in the world to comply fully with EDI standards and objectives.
* All registered players will be required to self-identify from approved gender categories - choices can be changed no later than 24 hours before kick-off
Editorial contact: Kaidon Serrano, +44 1908 417829, kaidonserrano@dontsp.am
FB: www.facebook.com/EDIForFootball