Kick it Out founder Lord Herman Ouseley dies at age of 79

The anti-discrimination charity said Ouseley was a ‘fearless advocate for under-represented and disadvantaged communities’

Ouseley founded Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football in 1993 (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Premier League)

Lord Herman Ouseley, the founder of what is now called Kick It Out, has died aged 79.

The anti-discrimination charity announced Lord Ouseley’s death on its official X account.

“We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Lord Herman Ouseley after a short illness,” Kick It Out’s statement read.

“Lord Ouseley was a titan in tackling discrimination in football over the 25 years he was chair of Kick It Out, having founded Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football in 1993.

“He was also a fearless advocate for under-represented and disadvantaged communities and will be sorely missed.

“Lord Ouseley’s vision to set up Kick It Out was the first true structural change in football to take on a problem that had blighted the game for decades.

“Fans and participants are now more aware of discrimination and how to challenge it, which is a legacy of the tenacity and vigour he showed in ensuring football continued to change.

“We owe him a huge debt of gratitude and vow to continue that legacy for the benefit of future generations. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”

Ouseley was executive chairman at the Campaign for Racial Equality in 1993 when the ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football’ campaign, which developed into Kick It Out, was launched.

Ouseley arrived in the UK as a boy by boat from Guyana, and later recounted his early experiences of racism growing up in Peckham in south-east London.

“At first I was unaware when insults came my way because the abusers always had a smile on their faces. It was more sinister when adults joined in,” he said, in quotes published on the Pride of Sport Awards website.

Ouseley was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1997 New Year Honours for services to community relations and local government and made a life peer in 2001, sitting in the House of Lords as a crossbencher until his retirement in 2019.

The Football Association said: “We are extremely saddened to hear about the passing of Lord Herman Ouseley.

“Lord Ouseley was a trailblazer in English football, having the original vision for Kick It Out, and he played a hugely inspirational role in tackling discrimination across our game while advocating for underrepresented and disadvantaged communities.”