Discrimination cases in grass-roots sport: comparing Australian and English experiences

Although sport is often regarded as a site of social inclusion that can provide rare opportunities for otherwise marginalized social groups, it harbours some of the most overt and extreme forms of discrimination and abuse. Recent high-profile discrimination cases involving professional footballers and spectators in the English Premier League and the Australian Football League have led to increased interest in the way national sport organisations deal with such incidents – particularly from politicians, lawyers and the mass media. This article explores the various ways in which cases of discrimination are handled in sport in two national settings of Australia and Britain, particularly at a grass-roots level. Drawing upon the professional, personal and research experience of both authors, the article surveys the changing nature of discriminatory abuse in grass-roots sports in both countries, before comparing and contrasting the various approaches taken to dealing with discrimination in Australian sport and English grass-roots football.