Abusive words are considered by many participants to be an integral part of a game of football. They often go unnoticed in the heat of a match and most players do not dwell on what happens on the pitch after the final whistle.
However, racist, homophobic or other discriminatory abuse is unacceptable and should be punished as it cannot be part of the game.
We at the LFA take such incidents very seriously which is why we appointed a Racism and Discrimination Officer whose duty it is to undertake investigations into all such incidents.
Complaints may be received from a variety of routes: a Referees Report, from a Club Secretary, a spectator or directly from a participant in the game and it is important to understand that just because the incident is not reported by the Match Referee it does not mean that the LFA would not undertake an investigation. The LFA Racism & Discrimination Officer seeks to investigate all Complaints received from any reliable source.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH
The Home Office in 2006 defined “Hate crime” as:
“Any incident, which constitutes a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hate”
Hatred is a strong term that goes beyond simply causing offence or hostility. Hate crime is any offence committed against a person that is motivated by an offender’s hatred of someone because of their:
- Race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality or national origins
- Religion
- Gender or gender identity
- Sexual orientation
Hate crimes can take many forms, including:
- Physical attacks
- Threat of attack
- Verbal abuse or insults
The latter – “verbal abuse or insults” – is by far the most common cause of Complaints received by the LFA and it is appropriate to note that under current rules the sanctions for proven cases are:
“For the first offence the suspension and fine to be doubled, and for a second offence, be trebled. Any subsequent offence proved should result in a substantial period of suspension from all football activities together with a fine of not less than £200”
These levels of sanctions reflect the seriousness with which the FA views such incidents.
It is important to understand that a racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.
REPORTING INCIDENTS TO LANCASHIRE FA
In the first instance all Complaints should be sent by e-mail or post to Hayley Mather, Discipline Manager:
Hayley will liaise with the LFA Racism & Discrimination Officer who, where appropriate, will proceed to undertake an Investigation following a set procedure common to all such Complaints.