Four events co-organised by Fare in coming weeks will tackle big themes in sport. They will focus on the lack of women and ethnic minorities in coaching and football leadership; the impact of next years World Cup in Russia; and sport psychology as a tool for social interventions in sport.

Could the Rooney Rule change the face of European sport?
Fare will run a session at the Play the Game conference on the 29 November to make the argument for greater action to deal with the under-representation of ethnic minorities and women in coaching and leadership across European football.

Executive Director Piara Powar will chair a panel of Jacco van Sterkenburg of Erasmus University, Steven Bradbury of Loughborough University and Inge Claringbould of Utrecht University School of Governance. They will be joined by Jeremi Duru Professor of Sports Law at American University in Washington, a leading expert on the implementation of the Rooney Rule in US sport.

Play The Game will bring together 400 journalists, scientists and sport officials in Eindhoven, to address hot topics in sport under the theme of ‘Riding waves of change’.

Call for the Rooney Rule in England
The next day, on the 30th November, the Sports Peoples Think Tank (SPTT) will work with Fare and Loughborough University to launch the fourth annual review on the numbers of ethnic minority coaches in English professional football.

The launch, which is now an annual fixture in the calendar, will explore the lack of progress despite promises by the English FA and the English Football League to take action. The question on everyones mind is, what else can campaigners and players do to be heard?

Jeremy Duru and Steven Bradbury will also speak at the London discussion.

Russia and World Cup 2018
In Moscow on the 30 November Fare and the Russian Center for Interethnic Co-operation will host a conference on the impact of the FIFA World Cup 2018 on ethnic minorities and other minority groups in Russia.

Russian FA anti- discrimination inspector and former Chelsea, Fulham and Bordeaux midfielder Alexey Smertin will be joined by representatives of ethnic minority communities from across the 11 host cities, public officials, activists and campaigners.

The event will address questions issues such as the current situation with interethnic relations in World Cup host cities? How safe will the World Cup be for ethnic minority fans and the LGBT+ community? What could be the legacy of the World Cup for ethnic and other minority communities in the host cities?

Sport psychology as an empowerment tool
On the 28 November, Chelsea FC will be the host venue for a conference on the role of sport psychology as a tool to help youth at risk of exclusion.

Speakers from UEFA, The FA, Chelsea FC and former UK Sports Minister Richard Carbon will help explore topics including social inclusion and participation in grassroots sport and hear from 'Agents of Change' - journalists, coaches and others trained to help create behavioural change in grassroots sport that have been created by the project.

PsyTool is an Erasmus+ Sport project bringing together 13 partners from five countries. The conference will present the findings of the two-year project co-funded by the European Commission. Organisers include Fare, Pablo de Olavide university in Seville, and the Qatar-funded International Council for Sports Security Europe (ICSS).

All four events are open for registration. All, except Play the Game, are free to attend.

Register for Psytool conference here. Date 28 November, venue Chelsea FC, London. Attendance is free.

Register for Play the Game 2017 conference here. Date 29 November, Eindhoven. Paid attendance. Wednesday 29 November at 11h 50

Register for the Fare and SPTT research launch via SPTT website here. Date 30 November, London. Attendance is free. (venue and time to be confirmed)

Register for ‘Impact of the FIFA World Cup 2018 on inter-ethnic relations and promoting diversity in Russia’ conference here. Date 30 November, Moscow. Attendance is free. (venue and time to be confirmed)