Inclusive leadership at Brentford: a commitment to anti-racism | OneFootball

The Premier League’s No Room for Racism campaign starts on Saturday 5 April.

Ahead of this, Brentford Football Club director and general counsel Nity Raj shares his reflection on the work he and leaders at the club are doing to embed anti-racism into the club.

“At Brentford, inclusion and equity are at the heart of who we are. We’re proud to live by our values - togetherness, respect, and progressiveness - and we’re always looking for ways to make sure those values shine through in everything we do.

“That’s why, this season, we’ve launched our inclusive leadership programme. Led by HR rewired and designed specifically for our executive committee, board, and senior football staff, the two-year programme is about giving our leaders the skills to actively champion anti-racism. We want to make sure that our commitment to equity starts from the top and runs through every part of the club.

“For us, leadership isn’t just about making decisions; it’s about setting the tone and leading by example. As leaders, we play an important part in shaping our club’s culture, so it’s vital we know how to spot, challenge, and prevent racist behaviours and structures.

“Football is all about bringing people together, but we know there’s still work to do when it comes to tackling discrimination in our sport. That’s why this programme goes beyond just theory - it’s practical, real, and relevant. We’re looking at real-world scenarios, historical context, and giving leaders practical tools to make change happen."

The programme focuses on four key areas

Raj added: “By focusing specifically on anti-racism, we’re making sure we are backing up our commitment to tackling discrimination in every form. The leadership training has given me the opportunity to challenge assumptions I have made about what problems we need to solve to improve inclusion.

“At Brentford, we believe in action, whether it’s through how we support our fans, our work in the community, or how we treat our players and staff.  It’s all about making sure everyone feels welcome.”