Argyle are backing the EFL’s Together Against Racism campaign, and will show dedicated support at our fixture against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, 18 October.
Members of our first-team squad will wear special warm-up tops in support of Kick It Out, with coverage of the campaign supported across our website and social media channels. We're also delighted to have Matt Tiller, co-founder of The Jack Leslie Campaign, on Argyle Breakfast this Saturday morning.
This week is also Hate Crime Awareness Week, a national week of action to encourage communities affected by hate crime, local authorities, police forces and other key partners to work together to tackle local hate crime issues. We do not tolerate hate crime in any form, and severe consequences will be issued for individuals who engage in hate crime at Home Park. We pledge to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all supporters who come to our club.
At Argyle, we believe that football is a game for everyone, everywhere, and we are proud of the welcoming atmosphere that you create at Home Park every match day. However, last season there were still 141 incidents of racist abuse at EFL grounds and more than 5,000 incidents of online abuse, with more that likely went unrecorded.
To tackle the rise in online abuse and to protect players, the EFL employs Athletia, a social media monitoring system that reviews public posts relating to players and officials across EFL clubs. The league also continues to work with social media platforms and the Football Policing Unit to ensure perpetrators are identified and sanctioned accordingly.
Racism will not be tolerated, and we stand together to remove it from our game. Those engaging in racist abuse face up to five years in prison and football stadium bans of ten years. Last season, 17 fans were banned from their clubs and 24 faced police convictions for racist abuse at EFL grounds, with many more being referred for restorative justice or still under investigation.
Argyle strive to ensure we are truly reflective of the diverse communities we represent, and we stand side by side with players, managers, supporters and the EFL to tackle racism in our game.
One Club. One Community. Together Against Racism.
If you witness racist or discriminatory abuse, you can report it directly to the club through Kick It Out, our reporting mechanisms, or by alerting a steward.
We will take swift and firm action against anyone identified in making racist or discriminatory behaviour, working with the relevant authorities to ensure perpetrators face club sanctions and police action.
Text ARGYLE to 66777 followed by your message and a member of the team will investigate - or, head to kickitout.org/report & efl.com/inclusion/report-discrimination
