ABSTRACT
It is around ten years since the authors examined the intervention and engagement of the law with manifestations of racism within English sport, most notably football (Gardiner and Welch 2001). The two main areas of intervention that were examined concerned fi rstly the criminalisation of spectator racism and secondly the anti-discrimination provisions that operate in the football workplace which provide civil law remedies, including damages. The success or failure of these measures was viewed in the context of the related legal measures found generally in society. A major contention was that in dealing with this phenomenon of racism in sport, the argument that “more law” will alleviate the problem is often misplaced. The law does have a role to play, but it is vital not to reify its role.
