COM1030: Introduction to Journalism Practice

Week Five - Copy Clinic I

Formative Assessment 5.

PENALTIES FOR PITCH PREJUDICES

NEW FOOTBALL ACTION PLAN SET OUT TO ABOLISH PREJUDICES ON THE PITCH
Following a Downing Street summit held by David Cameron regarding social prejudices, the Football
Association has launched Opening Doors and Joining In, a five year plan, to see the end of racial and
homophobic issues on the pitch.
According to an official statement released by the Football Association, The Action Plan for
promoting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans (LGB&T) inclusion is an integral part of The FAs current
strategic plan. One of the goals of this plan is to ensure Football for everyone. The Action Plan sees
the grass-roots and professional games work in partnership.
Due to previous homophobic behaviour by footballers such as Queens Park Rangers Federico
Macheda along with Newcastle Uniteds Nile Ranger, resulting in fines of up to 15,000, the FA aim
to promote inclusion, widen diversity in the game and address discrimination in all its forms whilst
still making sure that football remains a safe and equal environment to play in and spectate.
Whilst also promoting a positive reputation for the game, its participants and supporters of today, and
for generations yet to come, the FA may be at an advantage due to the new modernisation the sports
industry have recently gone through. This is thanks to sports associates Anton Hysen, Gareth Thomas
and Steven Davies publicly expressing their homosexuality.
Gay rights campaign, Stonewall, has also requested that football takes more effective action of
prejudicial abuse within the sport. Research from the campaign has revealed that anti-gay abuse has
been witnessed in seven out of ten fans, all of whom expect greater action to be taken into decreasing
the problem of abuse.
Further statistics, released by Leagues Behind Footballs failure to tackle anti-gay abuse, and
gathered from 2,000 participants, have revealed that 60% of fans believe that anti-gay abuse from fans
dissuades gay players from coming out, whilst almost 2/3 of fans believe football would be a better
sport if anti-gay abuse was completely eliminated.
Football prejudice has been apparent in sport culture since as early as the 1980s, with ex-footballer
Graeme Le Saux claiming because I didnt feel comfortable in the laddish drinking culture it was
generally assumed by my teammates that I must be gay. It was a lie. I am not gay and never have
been, yet I became a victim of English footballs last taboo.
However, with the new launch of the FAs action plan, along with the 2008 launch of The Justin
Campaign, raining awareness of homophobia and discrimination within football, and 1989s The Gay
Football Supporters Network, there is a new form of hope that suggests that the end of pitch
prejudices may not be so far away.
Word Count: 454