AS A global game representing diverse communities and groups of people all around the world, and one which is, in the main, supported by and played by working-class people from those communities, football is in a position of influence when it comes to tackling racism and fascism in sport and society.

On top of that, the groups of people who support these teams — in their hundreds or thousands or millions, at club or international level — mean these organisations naturally have a community base to work with.

Despite their huge influence, there is relatively little action taken by the biggest organisations, with governing bodies often turning a blind eye to incidents of racism or fascism, issuing meaningless meagre fines, and doing little at the grassroots level where real change can happen.

This is where those at the top could learn from clubs operating at a lower level who, across the globe, are involving everyone in their clubs to the point where many are actually run by the communities in which they reside.

“A non-league club’s deep links within their own community is a unique opportunity to shape and mould the club and drive change,” says Michael Meadows, a director at COLFC in the Community, the community arm of Northern Premier League side City of Liverpool FC.

“At COLFC we realise that in order to truly represent the city of Liverpool, we must immerse ourselves in the attitudes and values of the community in which we exist. 

“Just like the city, we have a diverse and vibrant membership and fan base, and if we weren’t to protect their values and act to uphold and protect them, we wouldn’t be representing either in an honest way.”

On the back of the European Super League saga, which involved another club in the city, Liverpool FC, there have been numerous discussions about supporter involvement at clubs and how such fan integration would be structured and actioned.

Clubs already truly embedded in their communities to the point where they take their direction from these groups of people would rarely, and probably never, encounter the problems with poor decision-making that many top-flight clubs have experienced in recent years.

This supporter influence can be extended from the avoidance of misguided decisions to positive change, grassroots education, and community integration, which would naturally discourage ideas that lead to racism and fascism.

When not combined with such community work, the top-down anti-racism campaigns of football governing bodies are ineffective, and in the worst cases can lead to a push-back against these initiatives.

One example is the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement’s brief incorporation into top-level football.

At this level, games continued during the pandemic, and the taking of the knee prior to kick-off began as support of BLM; but the clear messages behind that movement didn’t remain front and centre for long. 

Starting as a gesture that, for once, actually meant something and had a grassroots political movement behind it, it was soon replaced and diluted.

Broadcasters received complaints and soon reverted to one of their numerous safe slogans. Commentators now sound like they’re reading from a script as they explain this pre-match ritual.

“Token gestures, petty fines and other farcical attempts by the FA, Premier League and Uefa, to name but a few, are absolutely pathetic,” says Joe Chlebik of 0161 Community, which works closely with communities in Manchester and National League side Curzon Ashton FC.

“There’s not a plan with anything — and they’re all surface and token acts that do nothing to actually deal with racism on a base level. 

“What is needed is more education at a grassroots level which needs to work across multiple platforms and agencies.”

Grassroots movements are better positioned to explain these initiatives and engage with people on the ground, bringing diverse communities together.

This could temper the emergence of the far-right groups that still exist in football, and ultimately kick them out altogether; but such groups have been emboldened in recent years by the words and actions of high-profile right-wing politicians in power in the UK and around the world. 

As a result, the far-right have made their presence known more openly at games, and for clubs that are open to all, they can be difficult to remove.

This is something COLFC had to deal with in 2019 when far-right groups such as the Football Lads Alliance and the Democratic Football Lads Alliance tried to work their way into the club.

COLFC were able to ban these groups and do so efficiently thanks to the structure in place at the club and the political guidance and expertise that exists within it as a result of community representation.

“The club’s founding values, to establish democratic ownership, equality and diversity are only possible if we were to reject any suggestion of a position of political neutrality,” Meadows says. “We cannot coexist alongside anyone who wishes to exclude valued members of our diverse community based on religion, ethnicity, homophobia, sectarian politics or bigoted views.”

As a COLFC statement said at the time: “By necessity, our inclusion cannot be extended to, and abused by, those who would seek to exclude.”

Just as Curzon Ashton work closely with 0161 Community, Northern League club Durham City AFC have a similar relationship with the County Durham Anti-Racist Coalition (CDARC) and have encouraged clubs across the country to establish links with such organisations.

“It fits perfectly,” said Durham City chair Gary Hutchinson. “We want to be a club with the right approach, the right ethics — a club where people feel safe and welcome, whatever their background or circumstances.”

Tim Dredge, welfare officer at Durham City and a member of CDARC, acknowledged that plenty more needs to be done in the sport.

“There is still much work to do to combat racism, but we are very heartened by football’s stance and by the fact that a local club at the heart of our county want to tackle it front and centre and promote the right messages,” he said.

“CDARC would encourage other grassroots football clubs to link with local anti-racist groups in their area and adopt Durham City’s approach. It can only help spread the message of football as a force for good.”

Non-league clubs are naturally more connected to their local area, but there’s no reason clubs in the top divisions can’t follow their example and adopt similar grassroots initiatives that go beyond slogans and PR.

Many of the world’s biggest clubs are built on a local identity that was then adopted by fans around the world, so in many ways have a bigger grassroots base to work with.

They would then be in a better position to pressure governing bodies to turn their words into actions and grow positive movements from the ground up, using sport to connect with the communities in which these clubs reside, and with others to where their influence has spread.