UEFA Against Racism

7/28/2019 UEFA Against Racism

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uefa guide to good practice

produced byUEFA & FARE

produced byUEFA & FARE uniteagainstracismin european football

UEFARoute de Genve 46CH-1260 NyonSwitzerlandTelephone +41 22 994 44 44Telefax +41 22 994 44 88uefa.com

Union des associationseuropennes de football


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03uniteagainstracism

02 uniteagainstracism

Introduction 04

A guide to action 07

What is racism? 08

Racism in football in europe 10

Anti-racist action 12

The actorsNational AssociationsSupporters

Players and clubsEthnic minorities and migrants

Media

The actions

Action plans and charters

Stewarding and Policing policiesAction at matchesUEFAs Ten Point Plan

FARE Week of action

Principles of good practice 40

Appendices 43

FAREs core members and contact detailsOther useful contact details

contents


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It is by no means completein its representation of thework that has taken placein European football,no document couldever claim to do thatcomprehensively.Nevertheless, it stands

as a significant record ofthe achievements of manyin campaigning to tackleracism. Hopefully, manyothers in the Europeanfootball family can takepractical guidance fromthe examples set out here.

The objective has been tobring together the bestexamples of anti-racismactivities from significantgroups within and outside offootball, such as fans, clubs,players, football authorities,or migrant and ethnic

minority organisations.These responses may havebeen developed in reactionto racist incidents or inattempting to build respectand educate the widerfootball community.

Our ultimate hope is that bysharing examples of goodpractice, such practice willspread and that newapproaches and initiativeswill be generated, adding tothe growing momentum ofthe campaign against racism

This guide is being presented by UEFA and FARE followingthe Unite Against Racism conference at Stamford Bridge,Chelsea FC, on March 5th 2003, as one of a number ofpractical outcomes from the conference.

From these practical actions are drawn a set ofprinciples, or good practice guidelines, that we hopeyou will use to inform your activities.

aguidetoaction


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Racism is the belief of thesuperiority of a particularrace, religion or ethnicgroup. It is most commonlyexpressed through words orpractices which causedisadvantage. It can occurintentionally or through alack of understanding andignorance. It may manifestitself openly or it can becovert, and often it isinstitutionalised.

The problem will applydifferently across thecontinent with ethnicminorities often the focus ofabuse, harassment anddiscrimination. In many partsof Europe ethnic minoritiessubjected to racism will bethose from neighbouringcountries or regions. Inmany Western Europeannations citizens of the formercolonies, often in Africa orAsia, are those most oftenvictims of racism.

There remain forms ofracism that are centuriesold and persist throughoutEurope. Examples includeracism towards J ews anti-semitism and Romapeoples. In recent yearsthere has also beena growth in attacksand discriminationagainst Muslims.

whatisracism?


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Elsewhere in Germany,members of the OldenburgerFaninitiative have persuadedtheir club, Vfb Oldenburg tohave an anti-racist bannerpermanently on display inthe ground. The banner wasfirst revealed before theirfourth division match against

TSV Havelse. Similarly, theFanprojekt Hannover 96group produced twobanners saying DifferentColours One Game andYoung fans against racism,which were carried aroundthe ground by young fansbefore Hannover 96s gamesagainst RW Oberhausen andMSV Duisburg.

In a variation on the theme,the Polish NGO NigdyWiecey (Never Again),who are supported byEmmanuel Olisadebe,distributed T-shirts with theslogan Wykopmy Rasizmze Stadionow (kick racismout of the stadium) to

supporters of Warsaw intheir ground. They have alsoproduced posters, fanzinesand a CD of anti-racistfootball songs.

J ust as banners, balloons,leaflets and t-shirts are along-standing part of terracetraditions, fans magazines,or fanzines, are also part ofthe culture of the footballsupporter, and have oftenbeen used to campaignagainst racism by giving

supporters a chance to airtheir own views, tell storiesabout racist incidents, andcall for action to stop them.

They have also provided aspace for ethnic minorityfans to make themselvesheard, and to demonstratetheir loyalty to the team.

A prime example of the power of fanzines comes from

England in the late 1980s where a group of Leeds Unitedsupporters produced a new fanzine, Marching Altogether,explicitly to campaign against racism at Leeds Elland Roadstadium. The club had established a reputation for attractingsupporters from far-right groups such as the National Frontand the British National Party. The fanzine was crucial inbringing like-minded fans together, and a group called LeedsUnited Against Racism and Fascism was formed by itscontributors and readers.

supporters


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Despite the growth of itsplaying side, the emphasison anti-racist work has beenmaintained, focused aroundits fanzine, called PrassesErben (Prasses Heirs). RedStar members have alsopersuaded the towns other

clubs, such as FC SachsenLeipzig, to hold anti-racistevents, with banners andflyers, and have producedtheir own anti-racist CD.

Not every fans group is asorganised as this, but thereare many examples acrossEurope of fans who havetaken spontaneous actionswhen racism emerges reporting incidents toauthorities, to their national

campaigns, or FARE;removing racist graffiti fromwalls and stadiums when itappears; and lobbying theirclubs and football authoritiesto take responsibility foropposing racism.

supporters

This was followed in the 1990s by the national FootballSupporters Association (FSA) who produced an anti-racistfanzine called United Colours of Football, 100,000 copies of

which were distributed widely outside grounds and throughclub-based fanzines up and down the country. Recently,Kick It Out, the national campaign against racism in football,has produced two further editions of United Colours, one ofwhich was aimed at England supporters and given out tofans before Englands final World Cup qualifying gameagainst Greece last October.

Similar initiatives have been taken across Europe. In thenewly-formed German states, where racism from far rightgroups has been a growing problem in football, one groupof fans formed their own club. Roter Stern Leipzig (Red StarLeipzig) was formed in 1998 to provide an alternative to theracist cultures associated with the towns two establishedclubs. RSL now has two mens teams, a womens team,a youth team and a seniors side, as well as its own clubhouse and ground.

This form of co-ordinated action has been most effectivewhere fans of different teams have come together innetworks and associations. Two FARE member organisations

are good examples, the Italian groups Progetto Ultr andUISP and Germanys Buendnis Aktiver Fussballfans e.V.(BAFF). These organisations set out anti-racist activity thatdraws on the culture of fans as a key principle of their work.


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Involving ethnic minority fansand migrant groups incampaigns against racismin football is vitally important.One of the most strikingaspects of all Europeanfootball is the discrepancybetween the high numberof black players on the fieldand the lack of black facesin the crowd.

For example, it is estimatedthat about 15 per cent of allprofessional footballers inEngland and Wales areblack. But a recent survey offans found that on averageless than one per cent ofseason ticket holders atPremier League clubs wereethnic minorities. Whatsmore 27 per cent of fanssaid they had heard racistabuse directed at playersduring the season.

Efforts to attract moreethnic minority participation

in football, at all levels,but in particular toprofessional grounds asfans, is an important partof campaigns to eradicateracism in football.

In Sheffield the FootballUnites, Racism Divides(FURD) project have beeninstrumental in counteringthe exclusion of youngpeople from local ethnicminority communitiesthrough football themedactivities. Set up in 1996by fans of Sheffield United,they are a model projectdemonstrating the way inwhich football, educationand community involvementcan be linked to bring aboutpositive change.

In Hungary the Mahatma

Gandhi Human RightsOrganisation in Budapestformed the African Starfootball team, which givesrefugees and people ofAfrican descent thepossibility to play football.

They also hold a specialfootball tournament insummer hence creating amore tolerant and friendlysocial atmosphere throughsport programmes.

For those from within the

game relationships withethnic minority communitieswill need to be seen aslonger-term partnershipsmutually beneficial tofootball and the processof integrating newercommunities into themainstream.

ethnicminoritiesandmigrants

FURDs support of local youth football and theanti-racist work of the two Sheffield clubs has beenrecognized nationally.


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Football generates enormous amounts of broadcast and

print coverage across the continent. For many campaignersan active involvement with the media reflects the key rolethey play in highlighting both the problems of racist activityand the solutions.

media

The most successfulcampaigns have been ableto engender a wide-rangingdynamic in which all publicinstitutions, the mediaprominent amongst them,play an active role inchanging attitudes amongsupporters and demandingaction and commitment fromfootball authorities.

Gaining media coveragethrough launch events,banners and displays atmatches, radio phoneins, and other methods,is crucial to successfuloutcomes.

The mainstream mediahave covered numerousanti-racist actions by fansand other groups acrossEurope, particularly whenthis has been connectedto specific events such asan anti-racist action day at aclub, anti-racism weeks ofaction such as the oneorganised by FARE last year,or the high profile star-ledlaunch of a publication,

video, or exhibition.

Many anti-racistcampaigners produce theirown media, of course magazines, fanzines,newsletters, posters, videos,CDs, websites and so on.And often the mainstreammedia will cover the issue ofracism in football on theirown initiative, usually whenracism occurs.

In Romania, for instance, thepopular magazine Pro Sportand the TV channel Pro TV

joined the FARE Action inApril 2002 and printed15,000 posters where high-profile players including aplayer of Roma origin of

the Bucharest teams FCSteaua, FC Dinamo and FCRapid wore Football againstRacism in Europe

T-shirts. During the livebroadcasting of the Rapidvs. FC Universitatea Craiova,Pro Sport explained thebackground to the action.




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stewardingandpolicingpolicies

Whilst the longer termsolutions lie in theimplementation ofco-ordinated campaigningmeasures, the effectivestewarding and policingof racism inside stadiumsshould be an intrinsic partof those strategies.

The culture and modes offootball support differ acrossEurope. In one country fansmight display banners, flagsand scarves, as they standbehind fences. In another,chants and songs, and thewearing of replica shirtswhile seated with a freeview to the pitch maypredominate. Thesedifferences are in part

due to culture and in partto differing models of stadia.

Whilst stewarding andpolicing policies willreflect these differentcircumstances with somestadiums stewardedprominently and othersreliant on police checks atentrances - the primaryobjective of all stewardingmust be to ensure the

safety of spectatorsand players.

These basic safetyprovisions should alsoinclude measures to ensurethe effective policing ofracism, reflecting the viewof the majority of fansand players that prejudiceshould not be part of theexperience of attendingfootball matches.

This may take the form ofhighly visible groundregulations, training ofstewards to recogniseracism as it occurs throughchants, symbols andbanners, or graffiti.

The operational protocolssetting out which actionshould be taken and when,

should include situations inwhich racism rears its head.

In common with measurestaken by a number ofGerman clubs FC SanktPauli take a firm line againstthose caught up in racism.

The club sets out a clearpolicy through well sign-posted stadium statutes,backed up with targeted

action to identifyperpetrators. Onceidentified the individualsare banned and referredto the clubs fan projectwho work with them tochange attitudes.

In England the footballauthorities have drawn onthe advice of Kick It Out todevise a training programmeto be delivered to every

steward in England andWales in the next few years.

The programme lasts 1 hourand covers all aspects ofproblem recognition andoperational responses.

With the problem asextensively evident asit is now, in the currentclimate not taking anyaction is not a viable option.

The highly visible presence of racist chants inside the stadiums of some ofthe most prominent clubs in Europe continues to scar the game.


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actionatmatches

Professional footballmatches can be scenesof racial harassmentand abuse, both on thepitch and in the crowd.

They can also provide thebest arena for promotingthe anti-racist messageand building oppositionto a racist minority.

We have already seenhow fans have usedmatches to counter racistactivity with banners,balloons or leaflets, butmatches can also be thefocus of more official andorganised action.

In many countries clubsare designating games asanti-racism days wherepositive themes of unityand communitytogetherness areemphasized througharticles in programmes,messages from playersand choreographiesfrom fans.

December 1992, Germany:All Bundesliga teams woreshirts with the sloganMy friend is a foreigner tolaunch a campaign againstracism in football stadiums.

November 1999, Italy:Lazio and J uventus playerstook the field at the Romestadium wearing t-shirtswith the slogan No toanti-Semitism, Violence,Racism. Italian fans

have been using fanchoreographies from theterraces for a long time,with banners, chantsand displays commonplace.

October 2002:Campaigners in Englandhave drawn on the idea ofdedicated anti-racism daysfor many years withmessages in programmes,banner displays before kick

off, etc, common alongsidefan choreographies andplayers wearing T-shirts.

These are just three examples:


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1 Issue a statement saying the club will nottolerate racism, spelling out the action itwill take against those engaged in racistchanting. The statement should beprinted in all match programmes anddisplayed permanently and prominentlyaround the ground.

2 Make public address announcementscondemning racist chanting at matches.

3 Make it a condition for season ticket holders

that they do not take part in racist abuse.

4 Take action to prevent the sale of racistliterature inside and around the ground.

5 Take disciplinary action against playerswho engage in racial abuse.

6 Contact other clubs to make sure theyunderstand the clubs policy on racism.

7 Encourage a common strategy betweenstewards and police for dealing with racist abuse.

8 Remove all racist graffiti from the groundas a matter of urgency.

9 Adopt an equal opportunities policy inrelation to employment and service provision.

10 Work with all other groups and agencies,such as the players union, supporters,schools, voluntary organisations, youth clubs,

sponsors, local authorities, local businessesand police, to develop pro-active programmesand make progress to raise awareness ofcampaigning to eliminate racial abuseand discrimination.

UEFAs Ten Point Plan of Actionfor Professional Football Clubs


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theFAREweeksofaction

Supporters of Dutch clubPSV Eindhoven startedan action called PSVfans against Racism, inresponse to the racist abuseof Arsenal FC striker ThierryHenry at the recent UEFAChampions League matchbetween the two clubs.

In Austria, various migrantcommunities in Viennaorganised a charity footballtournament for the victimsof floods in Austria. Amateurteams from Yugoslavian,

Turkish, Romanian andBosnia-Herzegovnianbackgrounds took part.

Fans of the Belgian club R.Standard de Ligeperformed an anti-racistchoreography before ahome match, and players ofthe French top-flight club FCGirondins de Bordeauxsupported the action bywearing T-shirts with theslogan South Stand AgainstRacism during the warm-upfor the match against ASMonaco FC.

Over the course of twoweekends, English footballclubs dedicated homematches to the campaign tokick racism out of football.For example, Leeds Unitedand Arsenal FC held highly

visible displays of support,with fans raisingcards emphasisingopposition to racism.

In Germany, clubs of thestature of FC Schalke 04were prominent in anti-racistactivities. Fans held talkswith Schalke team coachFrank Neubarth and threeplayers, Niels Oude-Kamphuis (Netherlands),Anibal Matellan (Argentina)and German internationalGerald Asamoah.

Together with Italian,French and Spanish fans,the Italian group ProgettoUltr produced a bilingualanti-racist magazine in Italianand English, called Ultrasunisce Razzismo divide.

Fans of several leadingSwiss clubs met in Zurich toform an alliance againstracism called Fans United,and flyers against racismand violence weredistributed to fans beforematches at several stadiumsin Yugoslavia.

FARE has held three European-wide Action Weeks AgainstRacism where the football family is invited to co-operate withlocal partners, NGOs and fan groups, to organise activities inprofessional and community football. Last Octobers weekfeatured over 600 activities in every corner of the continent.

Future weeks of action will continue to be held in October.The week of action for the season 2003/2004 is scheduledfor 16-28 October.

The activities in October 2002 included:


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principlesofgoodpractice

Whilst it is impossible to prescribe all the elements ofsuccessful anti-racism interventions, there will be many thingsthat depend on local circumstances, there are someimportant principles that can guide positive action.

The following are by no means exhaustivebut provide some useful pointers:

Adopt a set of principles

for action that can bewidely publicized to all inthe football community.Encourage widespreadpublicity and ownershipof these principles.

Develop a nationallyappropriate plan ofaction with practicaloutcomes to implementthe principles above.Use the UEFA ten-point

plan as the basis ofaction. Set targets forprogress and monitorregularly.

Develop your own brand

name for the campaign,one that reflects footballin your country and canbe used on a wide rangeof materials. UniteAgainst Racism orFootball Against Racismin (your country) are twogood examples.

Establish partnerships -involve fans, players,police, stewards and

NGOs with expertise inthe field in planning andimplementing action.Include ethnic minoritycommunities andmigrant groups.

Show respect for the

culture and traditionsof fans and theirorganisations, seek toinstill anti-racism throughfan culture, using themethods and mediaassociated with fansand their groups.

Draw on the support andappeal of high-profileplayers to underlineanti-racist messages.

Encourage ethnicminorities and migrantsto participate in footballat all levels and in allcapacities, and make itpossible for them to doso without fear ofdiscrimination or abuse.

Make sure the messagereaches young peoplein particular, throughschools, youth clubs andchildrens publications.

Link campaigns againstracism in football towider campaigns againstracism and xenophobiain sport and society.

Set up systems formonitoring and reportingracist abuse ordiscrimination in anyaspect of football.

Ensure that actionis taken against theperpetrators wheneverracism occurs, at everylevel of the game, sothat those involved knowit will not be tolerated.


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acknowledgements

Design by The Works.

Photographs: Empics, FARE, Firo Sportphoto, Gepa Pictures, Studio Buzzi.

Printed and published by UEFA Communications and Public Affairs Division June 2003.

appendices

FairPlay. Different Colours.One Game.

Mllwaldplatz 5/3A-1040 ViennaAustria

Tel +43 1 7133594 90Fax +43 1 7133594 73Email: [email protected]

Kick It OutUnit 31-4 Christina StreetLondon EC2A 4PAUnited Kingdom


Unione Italiana Sport PerTutti (UISP)

Largo Franchellucci, 73I-00155 RomaItaly

Tel +39 06 408 15 681Fax +39 06 439 84 320Email: [email protected]

Progetto UltrVia Riva Reno 75/3I-40121 BolognaItaly

Tel +39 051 236634Fax +39 051 225203Email:[email protected]

Football Unites RacismDivides (FURD)

The StablesSharrow LaneSheffield S11 8AEUnited Kingdom


Show Racism the RedCard (SRTRC)

PO Box 141Whitley BayUK-NE 26 3 YHNewcastle-upon-TyneUnited Kingdom


Bndnis AktiverFuballfans e.V. (BAFF)

P. O. Box 1123D-63401 HanauDeutschland


Never Again Association/Stowarzyszenie NigdyWiecejP.O Box 6PL-03-700 Warszawa 4Poland

Tel +48 603 64 72 28Email: [email protected]/nw/

contacts

Union des associationsEuropennes de

football (UEFA)Assistance Programmes(Unite Against Racism)Route de Genve 46CH-1260 Nyon 2

Tel +41 22 994 44 44Fax +41 22 994 37 30uefa.com

Football AgainstRacism in Europe (FARE)

Mllwaldplatz 5/3A-1040 ViennaAustria

Tel +43 1 7133594 90Fax +43 1 7133594 73www.farenet.org

core members

UEFA Against Racism

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