“A Great Day for English Football” – New Journey Begins at Charlton Athletic
CAST was delighted to participate in the launch of the Diverse Fans Project under the umbrella of the English Football League's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy - 'Together'.
The launch took place at The Valley on Thursday, November 28th, 2024. This groundbreaking initiative sets out to enhance diversity across English football, with Charlton Athletic chosen as the club to lead the charge. Attendance at the event reflected the community spirit of this club, with representatives of everything and everyone from Media to Museum, Council to CAST participating.
The event was hosted by Charlotte Richardson, Charlton's star of the national and local broadcasting scene, who introduced a panel of speakers from across the club's broad spectrum—from the pitch to the fan base.
List of Speakers (Chronologically):
- Charlotte Richardson - Host of the event
- Paul Elliott, CBE, MBE - Independent Vice Chairman & EDI Lead at Charlton Athletic
- Dr. Michael Seeraj - Head of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at Charlton Athletic
- Karin Muya - Charlton Athletic player
- Chuks Aneke - Charlton Athletic player
- Heather McKinlay - Chair of Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust
- Heather Alderson - Vice-Chair of Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust
After Charlotte's introductions, Paul Elliott began by voicing the key word that for him has captured the essence of Charlton Athletic Football Club ever since he first stepped through the door as a teenager with dreadlocks. That word is "DIVERSITY" - a word that's "embedded in this club," coupled with a strong foundation of "friendship." That's what has inspired Charlton’s status as a model for best practices in EDI within English football, noting that the EFL's decision to launch the project at Charlton is a testament to the club’s longstanding commitment to inclusion. Paul elaborated on the ambitions of the Diverse Fans Project, stating, "If applied successfully at Charlton, this template can be rolled out across the whole of English football." Charlotte Richardson echoed this, pointing out how diversity is "in the DNA of this club," and now, “we’re rewriting that DNA.” The initiative’s focus is on making clubs more reflective of the communities they serve, enhancing diversity, and creating more inclusive environments across the nation, with football at the forefront of that.
This exciting journey, as Dr. Michael Seeraj, Head of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at Charlton, explained, will be shaped by research and grassroots engagement with communities across the club's catchment areas. Dr. Seeraj cited the EFL's own research, which shows that more than 49 million people live within 15 miles of an EFL club. To fully unlock the potential of this vast population, the project seeks to understand and overcome the barriers preventing certain groups from engaging with clubs, focusing on evidence-based strategies and proven models of engagement. This work is already in motion at Charlton, where the 'All Together, All Different, All Charlton' slogan has embedded these values into the club's culture. Collaboration with local partners, including Greenwich Council, is also vital in advancing these goals. As Paul Elliott aptly noted, the launch marks "the next phase of evolution" for Charlton and the wider EFL.
In addition to Paul and Michael, the event featured two current Charlton players, Chuks Aneke and Karin Muya, who spoke passionately about the significance of diversity and representation in football. Chuks shared a personal story about his early experiences as a fan, recalling how seeing players like Jermain Defoe inspired him to pursue a professional football career. Karin, who has achieved notable EDI landmarks in her career such as being the first English-born player to represent the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's football team in the US, emphasized the impact of role models like Eni Aluko and Emma Hayes and the need for greater representation in the Women’s game. She also acknowledged that the journey toward inclusion will be challenging but noted, "Sometimes the only way we can grow is through discomfort."
The event was concluded by Heather McKinlay and Heather Alderson, Chair and Vice-Chair of Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust respectively, who echoed the sentiments of the other speakers and expressed strong support for the initiative. Heather McKinlay highlighted how The Valley is already a welcoming environment, with a strong foundation of fans who will be instrumental in making the stadium "more reflective of the local community." Heather Alderson underscored that now is the perfect time for such a project, given the diverse fan base and the economic potential of the surrounding area. She added that the key to success lies in "gathering data" to better understand how to connect with the local community and make the club even more accessible. Added to that, she spoke of the imperative to attract new fans and new generations of support to a wonderful community club that she herself adopted rather than having been born into. And now, she's very definitely Charlton - "one of our own", as supporters sometimes sing on the terraces.
As Heather McKinlay concluded, "By creating a sense of belonging, we can bring in new supporters reflective of the wider community and be at the forefront of helping this happen across the EFL." She expressed confidence that Charlton, through this project, can sustain its proud history for the long-term. On the whole then the mood was incredibly positive, with a great sense of hope that this club can prove itself to be "the bastion of diversity and inclusivity" that Paul Elliott envisions. One day soon we might be as synonymous with the word 'diversity' as Bill Shankly's Liverpool with 'invincibility.' And in Charlton's case you won't have to say it in a Scottish accent to get the full effect. Whatever your voice, whatever your accent, whatever your tone, whatever your language background, we're all singing the same hymn at this recognisably and recognised unique football club as we head to the top of the charts when it comes to 'diversity' - All Together, All Different, All Charlton.
The club's report is here: https://www.charltonafc.com/news/charlton-lead-ground-breaking-inclusion-project
The Daily Mail also reported the event: