The head of anti-discrimination body Kick It Out says that initial proposals by English football's independent regulator "put equality, diversity and inclusion on the subs' bench". In correspondence sent to the independent football regulator (IFR) as part of a consultation process - and seen by BBC Sport - Kick It Out claims that the proposed measures are "inadequate". "We're really concerned that what we've seen in the first proposal, in essence, puts EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] on the subs' bench, [and] maintains the status quo. "It's really important that the regulator uses the powers that it has to drive the change that we all want to see." "It should send a message to the regulators [over] the importance of why EDI really matters, why they need to prioritise it, why they need to take it seriously," he said.

Source: BBC March 10, 2026 00:13 UTC