Sheffield Wednesday’s LGBTQ+ supporters’ group calls for education and accountability after club signs Callum Slattery

Sheffield Wednesday’s LGBTQ+ supporters’ group Rainbow Owls has called for accountability and rehabilitation following the signing of midfielder Callum Slattery, after highlighting his previous conviction for a homophobic offence.

In a statement issued after Slattery’s move to the club from Motherwell, the group confirmed it was aware he had been convicted at Glasgow Sheriff Court in October 2022 of “behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, aggravated by prejudice relating to sexual orientation”.

Rainbow Owls said it remained committed to tackling discrimination in football, stressing that “all forms of anti-social and discriminatory behaviour” must be confronted and that “all perpetrators should be punished accordingly and appropriately”.

However, the group emphasised the importance of education and rehabilitation alongside punishment, calling for a constructive approach that enables individuals to understand the harm caused by their actions.

“The presence of rehabilitative and restorative educational practices is equally imperative,” the statement said, adding that such work can help offenders “understand the impact of their actions and then become allies of the LGBTQ+ community”.

Rainbow Owls, which works closely with Sheffield Wednesday and its community programme, said the club had an established record of engaging with equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives.

These include LGBTQ+ awareness workshops in schools and matchday campaigns such as players wearing Football v Homophobia T-shirts. The group also pointed to previous EDI sessions delivered to academy players in partnership with organisations including Kick It Out and Stonewall.

As a result, the supporters’ group said it believed Slattery was joining an environment where expectations around inclusion were already well established.

“We’re proud to have a dressing room at Hillsborough that is already well versed in the message of how football is for everyone,” the statement said.

Looking ahead, Rainbow Owls said it expected Slattery to demonstrate learning and engagement following his past conviction.

“Our expectation is that Callum has arrived at Sheffield Wednesday FC in a place where he has learned from his past actions and will accept opportunities to actively participate in Rainbow Owls’ LGBTQ+ campaigns,” the group said.

They added that this should sit alongside “making a positive contribution on the pitch”.