The Football Association [The FA] has today published its new three-year equality, diversity and inclusion strategy.

The strategy will run until 2024 and forms an integral part of the governing body’s long-term commitment to use its influence across English football to create a game free from discrimination.

A Game For All outlines three key strategic commitments – Lead the Change, Be the Change, and Inspire the Change – which will ensure tackling discrimination remains a core priority for English football for years to come. It follows the success of The FA’s previous equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, In Pursuit of Progress, by continuing to focus on tangible action and working collaboratively across the game to ensure it is a safe and enjoyable environment for all. 

The FA’s commitment to Lead the Change will see it continue to actively tackle discrimination on and off the pitch through delivering effective sanctioning and education, furthering efforts to tackle online abuse, creating safe venues, and building trust in reporting mechanisms and disciplinary processes for incidents of discrimination.

Be the Change focuses on building a diverse workforce through education, development and inclusive leadership. Codes designed to drive and promote inclusion across the game, such as the Football Leadership Diversity Code and County FA Code of Governance, remain a priority as The FA focuses on playing its part in ensuring English football is more representative of our country’s rich diversity. While setting targets to increase diversity across its workforce, the organisation will also prioritise improving disability representation and increasing the ethnic diversity of the England women’s coaching team.

Inspire the Change will see The FA use its influence to positively impact every aspect of the game, including delivering core diversity programmes for historically underrepresented communities across the areas of gender, ethnicity, disability, faith and sexual orientation. It will also continue to focus on providing career opportunities and addressing underrepresentation through positive action initiatives such as the Elite Coach Placement Programme, while growing the grassroots game to be more representative of modern society at all levels, including those in senior roles off the pitch.

The full strategy can be downloaded here