Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Port Vale Football Club and Port Vale FC Foundation are committed to jointly creating and maintaining a culture and environment that is welcoming to everyone. As outlined in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.
We have a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse, discrimination, bullying, and harassment, and we are committed to ensuring that any such allegations are reported and addressed in accordance with the Club’s procedures; all reported incidents will be reviewed, investigated, and action will be taken as necessary.
This policy reflects our commitment to meeting and exceeding the requirements of the EFL Code of Practice (currently awarded Bronze, season 2024/25 and working towards Silver 2025/26).
The Club fulfils the statutory requirements of the Equality Act 2010 in relation to different (protected) characteristics, including: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership (including same sex marriage); pregnancy and maternity; race; religion and belief; sexual orientation, and sex.
We work hard to ensure that our staff and supporters demonstrate expected standards of behaviour, which are based on the principle of respect for others, and which relate to our inclusion standards. Discriminatory language and/or behaviour relating to age, disability, gender and gender identity, race, sexual orientation, and any other personal and/or protected characteristic are strictly forbidden and will result in arrest and/or ejection from the stadium.
The Club reserves the right to impose any other sanctions as appropriate or necessary, which may include attendance at an educational workshop and/or a ban for one or more matches.
We support the work of national organisations and associated campaigns, including Kick it Out, Show Racism the Red Card, Level Playing Field, Her Game Too, Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces Campaign and a number of other positive channels of support locally, such as attendance at key local events including Stoke Pride. We have an annual calendar of events and initiatives designed to educate and raise awareness of different themes related to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Port Vale FC takes the needs and interests of its staff and supporters seriously and we pride ourselves in having a well-trained team of staff who are equipped to respond to all alleged incidents of abuse, discrimination, bullying, and harassment in a timely and sensitive manner. We also welcome feedback from all parties as to how we can continue to develop our approach to maintaining an environment that is inclusive of everyone.
More information on our EDI work can be found on our social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, X and Linked In.
Port Vale FC – Cultural Review
In support of our on-going commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, we undertook a cultural review, gaining feedback from staff on the culture at Port Vale FC.
Full details of our review can be downloaded here
A summary of some of the headline results can also be seen below.
Staff were asked about how to rank the following statements about the culture of the club, with the results displayed below.
Staff were asked about their opinions on the following statements, with the summary of answers below:
Staff were asked what three words would describe the culture at the club, the results are below:
Staff were asked about how they felt the Senior Leadership Team impacted the culture of the club, which is outlined below:
