Lord Herman Ouseley, the founder of what is now called Kick It Out, has died aged 79.
The anti-discrimination charity announced Lord Ouseley’s death on its official X account.
“We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Lord Herman Ouseley after a short illness,” Kick It Out’s statement read.
“Lord Ouseley was a titan in tackling discrimination in football over the 25 years he was chair of Kick It Out, having founded Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football in 1993.
“He was also a fearless advocate for under-represented and disadvantaged communities and will be sorely missed.
“Lord Ouseley’s vision to set up Kick It Out was the first true structural change in football to take on a problem that had blighted the game for decades.
“Fans and participants are now more aware of discrimination and how to challenge it, which is a legacy of the tenacity and vigour he showed in ensuring football continued to change.
“We owe him a huge debt of gratitude and vow to continue that legacy for the benefit of future generations. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”