October 4 – British football’s most respected, resilient and tenacious anti-racism campaigner, the trailblazing Kick It Out founder Lord Herman Ouseley, has died aged 79.
The most powerful figure in the fight against discrimination in the English game, noted for holding perpretrators to account, Lord Ouseley passed away following a short illness, the anti-discrimination charity said.
Herman Ouseley founded Kick It Out – then called Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football – in 1993, and chaired the charity for 25 years, becoming a game-changer in the process.
“Lord Ouseley was a titan in tackling discrimination in football,” Kick It Out said. “He was also a fearless advocate for under-represented and disadvantaged communities and will be sorely missed.
“Lord Ouseley’s vision to set up Kick It Out was the first true structural change in football to take on a problem that had blighted the game for decades. Fans and participants are now more aware of discrimination and how to challenge it, which is a legacy of the tenacity and vigour he showed in ensuring football continued to change. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude and vow to continue that legacy for the benefit of future generations.”
The Football Association (FA) paid tribute to Lord Ouseley, who was born in Guyana in 1945 and came to the UK aged 12 as part of the Windrush generation.
“He was a trailblazer in English football, having the original vision for Kick It Out. He played a hugely inspirational role in tackling discrimination across our game,” the FA said.
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