Kick It Out founder Lord Ouseley dies aged 79

Lord Ouseley played a huge role in fighting racism in football

Anti-racism activist and Kick It Out founder Lord Ouseley has died at the age of 79.

He passed away following a short illness, the anti-discrimination charity said on Thursday.

Herman Ouseley founded Kick It Out - then called Let's Kick Racism Out of Football - in 1993, and chaired the charity for 25 years.

He sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher until his retirement in 2019, and also served as the chief executive for the Race Equality Commission.

"Lord Ouseley was a titan in tackling discrimination in football," Kick It Out said.

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

"We owe him a huge debt of gratitude and vow to continue that legacy for the benefit of future generations."

The Football Association (FA) paid tribute to Lord Ouseley with a statement that read: "We are extremely saddened to hear about the passing of Lord Herman Ouseley.

"He was a trailblazer in English football, having the original vision for Kick It Out. He played a hugely inspirational role in tackling discrimination across our game."