Adviser sacked over FA scandal remarks gains support of equality campaigners
A former adviser to the Football Association (FA), who was sacked over remarks he made during a sexism scandal, has been praised in a letter by almost thirty equality campaigners.
Edward Lord OBE, formerly of the FA Inclusion Advisory Board (IAB) was sacked earlier this month after he commented on the Association’s handling of the Richard Scudamore and David Elleray scandals.
On Monday night, however, Lord was commended in a character reference signed by 28 equality campaigners including current and former equalities ministers and a former FA director of corporate affairs.
The letter came following a vote of no confidence by the board, after Lord spoke out in the Telegraph, saying he was accused of “repeated failure to work in the spirit of collaboration”.
It read: “In our experience Edward is a capable, professional, and collegial board member, and a courageous and inspirational advocate for equality and social inclusion, whose public service has been recognised at the highest level.
“As group chairman of the Amateur Swimming Association – England’s largest participation sport – and through his ongoing involvement in football, we are certain that he will continue to lead the way across UK sport in speaking out for those who cannot speak up for themselves.”
Lord told PinkNews: “I feel enormously flattered and rather humble that so many people from differing aspects of my life – politics, sport, and equalities – felt able to support me.
“It is very sad that the FA chose to exclude me from my role as an inclusion adviser for challenging their failure to tackle discrimination by some of the most powerful people in football. Now is the time for us to come together and make clear that racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia is not acceptable in football or in any sport.
“It is ironic that the FA’s erasure of me, the only out bi male administrator in the game, from the inclusion board should come around the time of Bi Visibility Day.”
