Bournemouth, Sport | Posted on October 7th, 2026 | return to news

Project to tackle football spectator abuse in Dorset

Chief Constable says that nobody should face abuse from the sidelines when they are taking part in a sporting activity.

AFC Bournemouth men’s and women’s football teams and the Dorset Lioness Talent Centre are backing a project by Dorset Police and the Dorset County Football Association to tackle abuse from the sidelines in grassroots football.

A survey was created for participants to share their experiences so that partners can work together to identify solutions and take positive action; this included a focus on female players and officials of the game.

At a special team-building event for young footballers held at Dorset Police’s Winfrith headquarters, they shared some of the experiences around abusive comments that had been captured during this survey and the way it had made players and referees feel. This has resulted in a specially created video.

Chief Constable Rachal Farrell, of Dorset Police, said: “Nobody should face abuse from the sidelines when they are simply taking part in a sporting activity they enjoy, but sadly the experiences these women and girls have bravely shared show that it is the reality they encounter.

“It is quite simply not acceptable to subject anyone to this kind of abuse and as a force we are committed to tackling all forms of abusive and harassing behaviour, including towards women and girls.

“By speaking out and sharing their experiences, these young footballers are helping to shine a light on some of the unacceptable behaviour they have experienced and by raising awareness we hope it leads to a joint effort to put a stop to this abuse and stop it becoming normalised.

“We know that this kind of behaviour can escalate to criminality if left unchecked and that is why we are working with our partners to encourage others to challenge it at an early stage and stop it from being treated as acceptable.

“Members of the public have a part to play by calling out any abuse they encounter, and I hope the courage shown by these young players inspires all of us to find the strength to challenge abusive behaviour.”

Jemma Tewkesbury, senior football development officer for the Dorset County Football Association, said: “We’re committed to tackling poor behaviour across Dorset football and working together to eliminate abuse from our game.

“Women and girls deserve to feel valued, respected and included, so having the opportunity to make a positive impact within football is incredibly important to us. Our aim is to ensure more females feel safe and supported in the game, free from abuse or discrimination.

“This season, we’ve introduced a new traffic light system focused on spectator behaviour, helping clubs to identify, manage and address poor conduct from the sidelines. We will continue to work collaboratively with our clubs, leagues, Dorset Police and partner organisations to create a safer, more inclusive and enjoyable football environment for everyone.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, Dorset Police has developed the PACE mnemonic to assist members of the public in addressing and challenging abusive behaviour:

Prevent – stop abusive or derogatory behaviour towards women and girls before it escalates by setting clear expectations around what is acceptable
Act – if you witness or experience any abusive behaviour, intervene early and take positive action
Call it out – highlight the unacceptable behaviour and reinforce that reporting it helps protect others
Escalate – report to police or appropriate authority so action can be taken.

Clubs can obtain copies of posters highlighting Dorset Police’s PACE approach by emailing SpectatorAbuse@dorset.police.uk, with posters also available from the Dorset FA outlining its traffic light system for responding to spectator abuse.

Abusive behaviour on the sidelines can be reported to the Dorset Football Association at Discipline@dorsetfa.com.