[BFC SITE] PLAYER, MANAGER AND FAN VOICES UNITE THE EFL IN BEING ‘TOGETHER AGAINST RACISM’

The EFL has reunited to launch the League’s ‘Together Against Racism’ campaign, encouraging players, managers and fans – both in the stands and at home – to use their voice to drive change.

Between October 17-28, including on match days in the Sky Bet EFL, the campaign will focus on giving fans, players and managers a voice, learning about their experiences, hearing first-hand stories and showcasing how football is fighting to remove racism from our game.

The campaign is launched with a content film featuring former Newport County, now-Crewe Alexandra forward, Omar Bogle as he details his experience of being racially abused while playing for the Exiles away at Priestfield Stadium last season.

Bogle – who scored twice in 2-0 win for Newport County in the match in October last year – said empowering people to use their voice around experiences of racial discrimination is the vehicle to drive change.

“Racism is still there, it is something that can’t be hidden and you can’t turn a blind eye to it. It is about bringing more awareness from...black people or whoever to come and speak, share your experiences and have a voice. By doing that, we need to let people know that together we must move away from the mindset that racism doesn’t exist,” Bogle says in the film.

“I’m comfortable telling my story on the basis that it’s going to make a difference and that it’s going to help. I want my story to have some kind of effect and to make things better, not just in football, but in society as well.”

Over the course of the campaign, EFL Clubs will engage and showcase a range of new and existing activity in their local communities that uses the power of football to make a lasting difference; inspiring and enriching lives, but also challenging unwelcome behaviour.

Club initiatives include:

• Blackburn Rovers’ “Ewood Express” – a match day shuttle service that brings children from Blackburn’s South Asian community from schools and mosques to Ewood Park
• Leyton Orient’s Punjabi O’s supporter group, launched in January this year, brings together Punjabi and South Asian people and Orient fans in the Leyton community
• Bradford City will release a documentary featuring with former Bradford City player and EFL legend, Chris Kamara, who detailed his experience of racism in football
• Former Leeds United defender, Lucas Rabede will visit the Leeds United Academy and Elland Road to deliver education sessions around the ‘Together Against Racism’ campaign
• Shrewsbury Town pair Mal Benning and Toto Nsiala are attending local primary school, Millbrook Primary School to complete a Reading Stars session dedicated to inclusion and anti-racism
• Swindon Town held a fan forum with the local Swindon community to learn about racism's impact on football and wider society, with the panel featuring Swindon Town first-team and Academy players

Building on English football’s shared objectives on equality, discrimination and inclusion, ‘Together Against Racism’ will run concurrently alongside the Premier League’s ‘No Room for Racism’ and the FA’s ‘Enough is Enough’ campaigns throughout October, highlighting the work that is being done at all levels of the game.

Trevor Birch, Chief Executive of the EFL said: “EFL Clubs are proud to represent the communities they serve and work hard through various initiatives to create a welcoming environment for all. This season’s campaign is focused on giving Clubs, managers, players, and fans a voice, as we hear first-hand the negative impact of racism, alongside some of the more positive steps Clubs are taking to help remove it from our game.

“Some of the work being undertaken really does make a difference and we need to continue to use the powerful platform our sport provides to assist in creating positive change within our communities.”

The EFL and EFL Clubs will take swift and firm action against anyone identified in making racist or discriminatory behaviour, working with the relevant authorities to ensure perpetrators face club sanctions and police action.

If you witness racist or discriminatory abuse, you can report it directly to your Club through Kick It Out, the Club’s reporting mechanisms, or by alerting a steward.

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