Taking place at Team Lewis in Battersea, communities from across football put the strategy into action by uniting on an evening where a diverse panel energised the room as they discussed how football can take further action to become more welcoming for all.
Kick It Out chief executive Samuel Okafor also shared the charity’s vision over the next five years through a new film, and its four goals to build a more inclusive culture, boost representation on and off the pitch, and stand up to discrimination.
Minister for Sport Stephanie Peacock backed Kick It Out’s strategy in a video message before former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre spoke with passion about the need to tackle online abuse.
Almost 200 people were drawn from across professional and grassroots football for both the men’s and women’s game, and also included the likes of former England international Kerry Davis, and former Chelsea captain and now Charlton vice-chair Paul Elliott.
A captivating evening was hosted by Sky Sports News’ Bela Shah and Raise Your Game delegate Razaq Folarin, who has been mentored by Bela, highlighting one of the roles Kick It Out already plays in changing and developing the industry.
Salford City co-owner Neville, who dialled into the panel, was joined by Shrewsbury Town left-back Benning, Brentford women’s head coach Williams, PGMO referee Farai Hallam and diversity and inclusion consultant Liz Ward as they spoke with purpose and passion.
The room felt invigorated to tackle some of football’s long-standing issues such as a lack of black coaches or South Asian representation at elite level. There was also an acknowledgement of the challenge ahead, and how accountability must improve to make the game safer for all communities.
Neville described standing up to discrimination after his Salford City side walked off the pitch following an incident in pre-season. But he was also honest in highlighting his own journey by not supporting team-mates when they were racially abused while playing for England.
“I understand we talk about education and inclusion," Nevill said. "But I also think we should start to think about consequence.
“Should the (offender’s) employer be contacted? Should there be further punishment for the club? Should the players continue to be on the pitch?
“We have to take the conversation beyond what is the norm because I just see exactly the same response every single time. How do we disrupt that normal response?”
Benning, who has more than 400 league appearances under his belt, spoke about his pride in seeing Morecambe appoint Ashvir Singh Johal as the first Sikh manager in professional English football.
Hallam, who referees in the Championship and was a fourth official when Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo was racially abused at Liverpool in the opening Premier League game of the season, talked about how he handled that incident and also how it affected him. He also explained how the PGMO had doubled the number of professional officials from ethnic minority backgrounds in the last three years.
Williams described her journey through men’s and women’s football and how women needed more support in the game from clubs, and Ward provided brilliant insight into how to make football more inclusive. She also spoke inspiringly on how the game can "absolutely" be a vehicle for change despite seeing continued incidents of discrimination.
The conversation was honest, forthright and challenging, but it underlined the determination for those in football to make it a place where everyone belongs and how a united front can lead to greater actions that help a new generation thrive in the sport.
