MK Dons manager and Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo
The Standard is designed to assist professional clubs across all four divisions in England and Wales deal with issues around equality and inclusion, spanning everything from stewarding to the recruitment of young players.
The Standard is split into three stages; Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. Premier League challengers Chelsea have been awarded the Intermediate.
By enlisting the knowledge and expertise of ex-players Paul Canoville and Ken Monkou, the club deliver workshops in 'The Hub', the club's education centre based at Stamford Bridge, where local schoolchildren are invited to pre-match sessions, giving them a unique opportunity to quiz the former players on a range of topics.
In addition, the club is supported by its own in-house television channel, Chelsea TV, where examples of good practice, such as the 'Black and Blue' documentary on racism in football, are communicated to the club's worldwide fanbase.
The Dons, one of the League One favourites and looking for their second successive promotion, have achieved the Preliminary level.
The club's 'MK Dons Together' team excelled in different areas of club activity including their outreach programmes, and by hosting their own community day titled 'BOGOF to Racism' at their stadium.
Through staff and supporter audits at home fixtures, they were able to identify the various minority ethnic groups represented at the Stadium MK, helping to create a Racial Equality Action Plan. The ultimate aim is to use this as a tool for the club to reach a wider audience.
Both clubs, along with scores more up and down the league, continue to work on their respective level of the Standard, ensuring they keep inclusivity and diversity central to on and off field activities.
