‘Out of touch’ FA inclusivity guide slammed by MPs

Berks and Bucks Football Association (BBFA) has been criticised by MPs for its highly political Inclusive Language Guide.

MPs Jack Rankin, Joy Morrissey, and Greg Smith wrote to BBFA’s CEO to object to its guide, which bans terms including “ladies and gentlemen” and “Christian name” in the name of inclusivity.

The BBFA represents over 600 clubs and 34,000 players across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, and has encouraged “all clubs, coaches, referees, and volunteers” to use the guide.

Inclusive language

In the section on religion or belief, the guide tells people to use “given name” rather than “Christian name” to avoid “Christian-centric language”.

The advice on gender reassignment is for people to avoid asking “Is that a boy or a girl?” if unsure of someone’s gender, but instead to ask “what is their name/pronoun?”

The guide instructs people to use “affirming” language for men who identify as women by calling them “trans” women, and to use the pronoun “they” if unsure about someone’s sex to avoid misgendering.

Callum Salhotra, Community and Inclusion manager at BBFA, said: “Football has the power to unite communities and change lives. But for that to happen, everyone must feel like they belong. Language is at the heart of that; it can break down barriers or build them up.”

Out of touch

The letter from the MPs stated: “The document strikes us as entirely out of touch with reality – driven, as so often with attempts to mandate ‘inclusivity’, by a political, minority worldview.”

It continued: “With the greatest respect, we suspect the young boys and girls charging about muddy pitches across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire have a firmer grasp of biological reality than some of the people drawing up this guidance.”

The MPs wrote: “To reduce the beautiful game to a checklist of approved phrases risks sapping the joy out of it faster than a nil-nil on a rainy Tuesday night.”