The FA tackle homophobia head on

On Tuesday I spent the day at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic FC, training to become a volunteer FA liaison officer for a Football League Club.

The day was fascinating for a multitude of reasons, not least to see the dedication from the FA to wipe out all forms of discrimination in the game. The FA is criticised heavily in some circles these days, but the work going on under the “Football For All” banner is nothing short of incredible and should be applauded.

Another highlight was chatting to Brendon Batson, who was one of the first black players to play in the English game when he pulled on an Arsenal, Cambridge and West Brom shirt in the 1970s. He joined my small focus group and made some vital points to the debates, not just about the similarities with the “Kick It Out” campaign but also on the subject of homophobia in the dressing room.

One strong debate centred on the use of words like “poof”. Is this OK to be used in the context of “get up you poof” from a supporter in a Premiership match, when the same words can often be heard in a GFSN League match? The latter may be light-hearted, but where do you draw the line? Comparisons here were drawn with use of the n****r word by members of the rapping community.

All in all an eye-opening day and I look forward to working with my Football League club to help implement the new ground regulations (which forbid homophobic abuse for the first time) and hopefully more.