Following the positive result on the pitch last weekend, the club was saddened to see the emergence of anti-Her Game Too stickers around the stadium.
Bristol Rovers were proud to become the first EFL team to back the campaign which was founded by two Rovers fans, Lucy Ford and Caz May. Since then, the campaign has gained traction throughout football, tackling discrimination in the game and challenging stereotypes.
We remain united with Her Game Too and will continue to work with them to eradicate sexism in football. With that in mind, we will take the strongest possible action against any individuals found to share any negative and derogatory material at The Mem.
Following the game at the weekend, all stickers have been removed and CCTV footage is being reviewed to identify those guilty of these offences. Anyone found to be sharing such material will be banned indefinitely.
Bristol Rovers CEO Tom Gorringe said:
“The impact that the team at Her Game Too have had over a relatively short period of time is impressive; however, incidents like this sadly shine a light on why there is a need for such campaigns in the modern game.
“As the saying goes, ‘The first through the wall always gets bloody’, and I hope that the actions of a small minority who do not represent the views of our club - or the majority of football fans in this country - will not stop them from pursuing their work.
“We will work with Her Game Too to ensure that their resolve isn’t dampened and these actions are tackled robustly. Anyone in the stadium found guilty of such acts will be banned indefinitely. As a father of daughters, I hope that my girls can grow up in a world of equality and I have no doubt that the actions of the team at Her Game Too will have played a huge part in that.
“Everyone at the club is working incredibly hard to drive standards, make improvements and get to where we want to be on the pitch. In order to do that, we all need to be pulling in the same direction.
“With that in mind, I’d urge all supporters to be more accepting and tolerant of those around you. We all support this club, we all want to see it reach its potential and these sorts of cowardly actions do not help anyone.”
If anyone sees any form of discriminatory behaviour at The Mem, we would urge them to report this so we can ensure it is dealt with accordingly. The club would like to thank the vast majority of supporters for all of their support and we look forward to welcoming you all back to The Mem next week.