In an effort to combat discrimination, Liverpool have issued a list of words deemed unacceptable for use by members of staff at the football club.
The list is part of a wider education programme at the club and is intended to fight against all forms of discrimination, listing a number of words that would be deemed offensive under a variety of different headings, such as race/religion, sexual orientation, gender and disability.
According to The Guardian, the list has been given to all full-time and casual members of staff who have contact with the public on match-days or a daily basis but it has not been given to the Liverpool players because, like players from all clubs in the Premier League and Football League, they receive separate guidance from the Football Association.
Commenting on the issuing of the list to club staff, Rishi Jain, who works as a social inclusion officer for the club and was involved in putting the list together, is quoted in The Guardian as saying: “As part of the club’s continued commitment to tackle all forms of discrimination, as well as promoting its approach to equality and diversity, Liverpool FC has been actively engaged in a full club-wide education and awareness programme.
“This programme includes interactive workshops and a handbook which is designed to provide information on the latest equality legislation including information relating to what terminology is deemed as both acceptable and unacceptable. This programme of awareness enables our employees to recognise inappropriate language and take the necessary steps to ensure Anfield is free from all forms of discrimination.”
Liverpool came in for plenty of criticism for their reaction to the racism controversy involving Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra in late 2011, such as when the players took to the field for a Premier League game wearing t-shirts in support of Suarez after he received an eight-game ban from the FA.
This latest move is a progressive one by the club, however, particularly in light of incidents of discrimination in football, especially incidents of a racist nature, which have unfortunately reared their ugly head in recent years.
