Stonewall statement on Greg Clarke’s comments

Maria Munir, Associate Director of Community Engagement, Stonewall said: ‘The language we use matters, which is why it’s a shame Greg Clarke used such a harmful phrase like ‘life choice’ to describe being gay. It was also deeply upsetting to hear the archaic words and stereotypes he used to describe Black and Asian people, along with sexist stereotypes about players from the women's game.

‘We hope Greg Clarke and the FA will swiftly apologise for his comments – like they did for the words he used to refer to Black and Asian players today.

‘This highlights how much more there is to do before football is everyone's game. Words have impact; they influence the way that people are treated on a personal level, as well as the institutional opportunities that are available to sportspeople. We’d encourage Greg Clarke to listen to and learn from all marginalised people, so we can work towards a world where everyone is accepted without exception.’