Practical Steps to Tackle Misconduct in the Women's Game

Tackling abuse, harassment, and discrimination in sport is often treated as a problem exclusive to top-flight football. Yet having worked in elite sport for nearly 30 years - spanning professional football from the Premier League right through to the National League, alongside professional Rugby Union and Rugby League - I know first hand that looking after your people is something every leadership team and board genuinely needs and more often than not wants to get right.

From power imbalances between coaches and players to matchday sexism and online hate, these issues cut straight to the heart of how a club runs. A club's duty of care to its people doesn't stop when players leave the pitch. The numbers make one thing clear: every club at every level has to take real responsibility:

• Research published by the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and Loughborough University shows that in cases of contact sexual abuse across sport, 81% of victims are female. Coaches were identified as the alleged perpetrator in roughly 70% of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse cases.

• Kick It Out logged over 1,300 discrimination reports in a single season, driven by a major surge in reports of sexist abuse over recent years.

• A study into official club TikTok accounts revealed that abusive comments were present on every single post featuring female footballers over a seven-month period.

Female athletes are forced to tolerate a level of systemic disrespect that simply wouldn't be tolerated in any other profession.

From dealing with patronising comments about the legitimate skill level of women's sport, the message pushed at female players is often that they are encroaching on a male space. Add in online sexualisation, invasive commentary on their appearance, and misogynistic abuse after a tough loss, and the mental toll is heavy.

Women in professional sport aren't just managing their training loads and recovery; they are constantly filtering out background noise designed to undermine their place in elite athletic culture.

The biggest trap clubs fall into is treating sport like it gets a pass on normal workplace rules. Crossed lines aren't 'dressing room banter', and inappropriate behaviour isn't just a misunderstanding. Take away the sports setting: if a coach sends sexualised messages to a youth player, it is a gross breach of trust, a sackable offence, and potentially a crime - plain and simple. The exact same standards of respect, safety, and thorough workplace investigations you expect anywhere else have to apply inside your club. 

Building a safe culture starts with nothing more than being practical:

• Make safeguarding a standing item at every single board and senior executive meeting, rather than a policy document you pull out once a year.

• Never assign safeguarding duties to a first-team or academy coach. Give dedicated HR and welfare leads full autonomous independence and senior authority to investigate issues without conflict.

• Carry out random, regular checks on training sessions and changing facilities to ensure proper supervision ratios and boundaries are being actively enforced.

• Set up a secure QR code or dedicated third-party reporting app in changing rooms and staff areas so players, staff, and academy families can flag concerns without fear of career backlash.

• Mandate that all official communication between staff and players goes through approved club apps or email. Ban 1-on-1 private messaging on personal WhatsApp, Instagram, or Snapchat accounts.

• Post visible ground regulations at turnstiles and on tickets stating zero tolerance for sexist, racist, or abusive language, backed by swift ejection protocols and fan bans.

• Use automated keyword filters and allocate time in the media teams diary to block and remove abusive comments on club channels, reporting severe online hate directly to the police.

• Replace generic online compliance modules with scenario-based, in-person workshops on power dynamics, acceptable boundaries, and active bystander intervention for all staff.

• Hire an outside specialist annually to review your reporting logs, interview staff, and stress-test your safeguarding procedures.

• Maintain a confidential central register of every concern raised no matter how small to catch pattern behaviour or systemic issues within specific departments.

At the end of the day, no win, push for promotion, or commercial deal is worth putting a player or staff member at risk. Building a great club isn't just about what happens on the pitch; it's about making sure everyone who you walk with feels safe, valued, and backed from day one. If your club's welfare setup isn't where it needs to be, don't wait for a crisis to force your hand. Step up, make the changes, and lead from the top.

No more excuses.