Wolves will once again join the Premier League and its other 19 clubs this weekend in celebrating diversity on and off the pitch as part of its ongoing No Room For Racism campaign.
Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur will be the club’s dedicated No Room For Racism fixture, which will see Wolves unite with the Premier League to demonstrate how diversity makes the game stronger, while reinforcing the message that discrimination will not be tolerated in football or wider society.
Ahead of kick-off at Molineux, players will take the knee to show unity against racism.
Wolves defender Matt Doherty, whose children are Black, has been affected by the issue of racial stereotyping on the football pitch as well as in his personal life.
“We had a case here when we played Newcastle away quite a long time ago [2016/17 season], where there were some racial slurs made,” Doherty explained. “Roman Saiss was the target of those and a few of us had heard what was said, and it wasn't a comfortable experience at all. We had to go to a hearing and that was uncomfortable, because if you've never done something like that before, you're not really sure what to expect.
“From a personal point of view, I have Black kids, so I've seen first-hand at how things can be slightly more difficult than things might be for others. It’s not a good thing and we know that it still happens, but the best thing for us to do is educate ourselves, try and help educate others, so together we can eradicate racism.
“I have two girls, seven and six, and every parent will say the same thing – you want the best for your children. You don't want them to suffer any discrimination or any hard times based off the colour of their skin or what they believe in. My job as a father is to make sure that didn't happen, and if it does happen, to try and educate them or educate other children and other parents on what's right and what's wrong, and how it makes other people feel.
“Imagine someone judges you before they spoke to you. I know people can have opinions of you, and you can change those opinions, but to do that over the colour of somebody’s skin, or to judge someone because of something they believe in, is just completely wrong, and it’s old thinking. It’s unnecessary, it’s lazy, it’s uneducated and it’s not good enough.”
During the last week, the Premier League announced its four-year update on its No Room For Racism Action Plan, showing the progress being made to increase diversity across all areas of football. It also highlights the league’s ongoing commitment to tackling discrimination and supporting players and others within the game who suffer discriminatory abuse.
The Action Plan was launched in 2021, outlining a series of targets and commitments aimed at creating greater access to opportunities and career progression for Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups in football, along with steps to eradicate racial prejudice.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “Football should be a welcoming place for everyone and this is hugely important for the Premier League and our clubs.
“While we acknowledge that more can be done, I am pleased that the four-year update on our No Room For Racism Action Plan shows progress continues to be made in key areas.
“The league and our clubs will continue to work hard to ensure more opportunities are available. There is no doubt that diversity makes the game stronger and has a positive impact on and off the pitch.”
