Kick It Out's funding deal with Premier League cut to one year

The Premier League has reduced the length of its funding deal with Kick It Out from three years to 12 months, leading to concerns about the long-term security of the charity's income and the independence of the anti-racism movement.

- Matt Hughes

Kick It Out receives funding from a number of other stakeholders within the sport - including the Football Association, Professional Footballers' Association and Sky Sports - but the Premier League is increasingly taking charge of its own initiatives and programmes around diversity and inclusion.

It was revealed last week by the Daily Telegraph that the Premier League has ended an eight-year partnership with Stonewall and will abandon the rainbow armbands and laces campaign.

The top flight plans to launch its own anti-homophobia initiative in February to coincide with LGBTQ+ History Month.

The Premier League has no plans to cut ties with Kick It Out, a pioneer in combating racism and championing diversity since forming in 1993 as a campaign group, Let's Kick Racism Out of Football.

Despite considerable progress in driving racism out of stadiums, black players remain targets for abuse, as demonstrated on Friday when the Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo was allegedly racially abused in the first Premier League game of the season at Anfield.