Kick It Out, Guinness 0.0 and Greene King team up to make every fan belong in football

The collaboration between football’s leading anti-discrimination charity and the official non-alcoholic beer of the Premier League will launch a year-one pilot in Greene King’s 900 sport pubs across England, Scotland and Wales.

From March, 4,000 members of Greene King’s Pub Leadership team will receive training and education on inclusive practices and discriminatory behaviours linked to football, which will cascade to a further 12,000 team members. New tools and advice will also be available for customers to report discrimination when it happens.

Research commissioned by Kick It Out shows that eight in 10 people think pubs should strive to be inclusive, and that many people – especially women - feel less comfortable when football is being shown on TV.  

The data also showed that one in five Britons has experienced discrimination or harassment in a pub, increasing to three in five among disabled people and the LGBTQ+ community. Ethnic minorities are more likely than other minorities to say they’ve experienced this behaviour on matchdays.

The ‘Never Settle Until Every Fan Belongs’ campaign launches at The Silver Cross pub in Whitehall on Tuesday 27th January and is being backed by former Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison and former Tottenham and Crystal Palace goalkeeper Chloe Morgan, ahead of a massive summer of international football in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where fans will gather in British pubs to watch England, Scotland and other teams play.

Data shows that 7.5m adults watched football in Britain’s pubs and bars over a six-month period in 2023.

The pair will be joined on a special guest panel during the launch event by Robbie Lyle from Arsenal Fan TV, and other supporters. Premier League-winning captain and Kick It Out trustee Wes Morgan is also a special guest for the evening. 

In year one of the three-year deal between Kick It Out and Guinness 0.0, Greene King sport pubs will feature Kick It Out’s distinctive branding and signposts to where discrimination can be reported.

Training to over 16,000 members of Greene King pubs will include education on discriminatory language, chants and behaviours, so that appropriate action can be taken on match-days and football fans can have a more inclusive experience in the pub.

Kick It Out Chief Executive Samuel Okafor said: “With abuse in football still common in stadiums and rising online, this bold partnership between Kick It Out, Guinness 0.0 and Greene King is a commitment to unite football and provide a sense of belonging for fans, whoever they are, and no matter which team they support. We recognise that there are huge audiences that watch the game in pubs each year, and we hope our leading education and reporting services can make it a more welcoming experience in such a big year for football.”

Guinness Marketing Director Deb Caldow said: "Football has always been about bringing people together, a value that's been at the heart of Guinness culture for generations.  The beautiful game is nothing without fans, and will continue to thrive when fans feel at home. We hope this partnership between Kick It Out, Greene King and Guinness 0.0 helps ensure everyone feels they belong, in every pub, on every matchday, at every game."

Zoe Bowley, Managing Director of Greene King pubs, said: “Pubs are places for people to come together and feel they belong, no matter the occasion. We’re proud to be part of this groundbreaking partnership with Kick It Out and Guinness 0.0 to build on our Customer Promise and ensure that Greene King sport pubs are the most welcoming places to watch football on any matchday.”