Football regulator will reject call to play bigger role in promoting equality at clubs

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is poised to reject calls from Kick It Out to take on a greater role in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) throughout the sport. The IFR has decided, after a second round of consultation over its licensing terms, not to meet Kick It Out’s demands to set EDI targets for clubs and will not compel them to submit annual reports of the demographic makeup of staff. Kick It Out has been lobbying for the IFR to put a greater onus on EDI since the government-backed body was created last year. Kick It Out’s chief executive, Samuel Okafor, described the regulator’s initial proposals as “inadequate” and accused it, in correspondence sent to the IFR in March, of “putting equality on the subs’ bench”. Quick Guide How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts? Show In the Guardian app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications. Turn on sport notifications. If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version. If you don't have the Guardian app, download it from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'. The IFR responded by saying it was “premature to assert deficiencies in our approach to EDI” when it was preparing to launch a second consultation on its licensing policy. …