Gillingham Football Club is supporting the EFL’s Together Against Racism campaign for the fixture against Salford City on Saturday October 25.
At Gillingham we believe that football is a game for everyone, everywhere, and we are proud of the welcoming atmosphere that you create at MEMS Priestfield Stadium every matchday. However, last season there were still 141 incidents of racist abuse at EFL grounds and more than 5000 incidents of online abuse, with more that likely went unrecorded.
To tackle the rise in online abuse and 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 10 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.
Gillingham strives to ensure it is truly reflective of the diverse communities it represents and stands 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, the Club’s 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.
You can report abuse to our phone line during games by texting 07776090083 or by visiting - https://www.kickitout.org/report & https://www.efl.com/inclusion/report-discrimination
