Ahead of this weekend’s fixture, we are reminding all supporters of our zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination of any kind.
Forest is for everyone, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment. We have a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abusive and discriminatory behaviour, including ableism, racism, albinism, homophobia, antisemitism, and tragedy chanting.
The Club operates a zero-tolerance policy on all forms of abusive and discriminatory behaviour. Any individuals found to have been engaged in any sort of abusive or discriminatory behaviour will be subject to necessary sanctions. This could be a ban from the ground and court orders if found guilty.
At last season’s Brighton home fixture, the Club dealt with a number of incidents during and after the match which can be summarised as follows:
- 13 total cases of homophobic gestures/chanting.
- Of which, five were ejected on the day
- Five were from Social Media Posts/Comments
- Three were Identified through a Social Media Post of the supporters' making gestures towards Brighton fans
All the above were dealt with by taking positive action and working closely with the Police.
Some supporters appeared at court and received a three-year Football Banning Order, some were educated through Kick it Out and others received Club Bans and attended Club/Police education initiatives.
All those dealt with were placed on Acceptable Behaviour Contracts as to their future conduct, before being considered for a return to the stadium.
We will continue to work closely with the police and Kick It Out in dealing with individuals and applying the necessary sanctions where individuals are found guilty.