BRADFORD will spend at least £3,000 on promoting an inclusivity and diversity celebration at one of next year’s home games.
That’s after the club and the RFL reached an agreed decision as a sanction following complaints of homophobic comments directed at referee James Child during this season’s home clash with Newcastle.
While a compliance investigation was satisfied that the Bulls were unaware of the comments, the club accepted that match stewards should have heard the remarks and intervened.
The commitment to the inclusivity and diversity celebration was viewed as being a “more progressive and positive intervention” than a fine.
A £1,000 suspended fine (until the end of next season) has also been imposed.
Bradford have already taken action to improve education and awareness of stewards, staff and spectators, and have agreed to ensure the RFL’s Tackle It campaign is given greater focus at the club.
The RFL pointed to the club’s “excellent” track record in promoting inclusivity and diversity within the sport and at the club, with no previous cases of crowd misconduct on record.
Dr Rimla Akhtar OBE, chair of the RFL Inclusion Board, said: “This is a positive outcome to an unacceptable incident.
“It is important that the sport shows this behaviour will not be tolerated, and on behalf of the Inclusion Board and the RFL Board, I congratulate the Bradford club for their response.”