Aston Villa would like to remind supporters of our zero-tolerance stance on racism or discrimination of any kind ahead of this weekend’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Through the club’s All In initiative, which was launched in 2018, we're committed to creating a welcoming environment for everyone who visits the stadium on a matchday.
We actively celebrate the diversity of our local area, supporters and city and we encourage all fans to call out discriminatory language and behaviour.
We're continually working alongside West Midlands Police Hate Crime unit to tackle this issue, and fans can assist via our matchday text service, which is covered in more detail below.
To find out more information about specific hate crime reporting, click here.
Matchday reporting
If you witness discriminatory behaviour at a match or around a stadium, please report it to the police or a steward.
Supporters at Villa Park can text REPORT to 60060 along with the location of the incident and details of what you have witnessed.
The text line also includes the reporting of any safeguarding concerns.
The text service will be supported by our security team and West Midlands Police. Each text costs one standard message at your network rate. The club may share your details with West Midlands Police if further information is required to assist with a criminal prosecution.
You can also report discrimination by using the Kick It Out reporting app (download the app on iOS or Android) or via Kick It Out's website.
In addition, we support the Premier League’s protocol for reporting discrimination on social media, click here.
Do your bit to ensure Villa Park is a welcoming place for all.
Villa and PL adopt IHRA working definition of antisemitism
Aston Villa, alongside the Premier League, has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
The club is committed to the principle of equality, valuing diversity and combating unfair treatment throughout all levels of the organisation.
The Premier League is one of the latest organisations to recognise the working definition, which has been formally adopted by the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the United States, the European Parliament and more than 30 other countries.
League-wide bans among new measures to tackle discrimination
In August, the Premier League announced new enhanced anti-discrimination measures to be implemented in the 2021/22 season as the League and its clubs continue to work together to make it clear any form of discriminatory behaviour is unacceptable in football and wider society.
Premier League clubs have agreed to enforce new League-wide punishments, including bans, for any individual found to have behaved in a discriminatory or abusive way towards any club employee, player, match official, matchday steward or fan attending a Premier League match.
This will cover behaviour conducted in-person or online. Sanctions include permanent bans from attending not just League matches at the stadium of the club they support, but all Premier League matches.
For full details on the new measures to tackle discrimination, click here.