Cork City Football Club is a club built on the values of community and inclusion for all. Over the past 12 months the club has grown with the development of a Cork City FC Amputee team and the merger with the Women’s team.
The campaign to eliminate racism, discrimination and intolerance from football has become, and still is, a priority for the club.
In recent years, Cork City FC has forged a close partnership with the FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) network, which comprises groups and bodies working against intolerance and discrimination across the continent.
The No to Racism message aims to increase public awareness of intolerance and discrimination in football, as well as developing ideas and strategies on how to fight them.
The club’s staff recently attended a FAI anti-discrimination and intercultural awareness workshop. This was the first time an SSE Airtricity League club pro-actively engaged with the FAI to deliver such an in-house workshop. It was attended by staff across the whole club, including from the first team coaching and management team, the academy, operations, marketing and merchandise departments, supporter’s liaison officers and the board.
Cork City FC has also revised its disciplinary regulations to include tougher penalties against racism. The measures aim to efficiently fight racist behaviour at football matches, in line with UEFA’s zero-tolerance policy.
With the club committed to equality and diversity in football, it was with great disappointment that a flag with offensive connotations* was waved by a handful of supporters in the away end at Waterford FC earlier this season. The club has investigated this incident. We remind supporters of both the ground regulations and also what we, Cork City FC, stand for. For the avoidance of doubt, racist or threatening behaviour is prohibited by stadium regulations and will not be tolerated.
*: “Monitoring discriminatory signs and symbols in European football” (produced by FARE) is available here and will be the club’s point of reference for what constitutes an offensive sign, symbol or flag. The flag in question is depicted on age 17 of this document.
