It has been confirmed that the Premier League has introduced mandatory sexual consent training for all players and staff.
Ahead of the 2022/23 football season starting this weekend, and following what has been a recent string of high-profile cases and enhanced police action in England involving top-flight footballers, the Premier League has made the decision to introduce mandatory sexual consent training for all players and staff in what has been described as a “long-overdue step in the right direction”.
The training sessions – which were first reported by the Telegraph – are part of a wider safeguarding education programme that was updated and developed after the Sheldon report, and are set to address healthy and respectful relationships, and include understanding harassment and consent.
The Sheldon report was an independent review into historical child sexual abuse in football.
It revealed “significant institutional failings” by the Football Association (FA), and said the organisation “did not do enough to keep children safe”.
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The mandatory sexual consent training sessions are also being introduced after a coalition of women’s groups sent an open letter to the FA and Premier League back in February that urged them “to confront a culture of gender-based violence”.
The Premier League has introduced mandatory sexual consent training for all players and staff / Credit: Alex Motoc (via Unsplash)
As well as mandatory training, the coalition – which made up of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, The Three Hijabis, and Level Up – also asked for Premier League clubs to “adopt clear sexual misconduct policies and protocols”.
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They also wanted clubs to sign a charter “to tackle unacceptable behaviour”.
The coalition met with the Premier League in March and June – however, according to BBC Sport, the groups have said the FA has not yet engaged with them.
Speaking on the confirmation by the Premier League that mandatory sexual consent training is to be given to Premier League players and staff, Andrea Simon – Director at End Violence Against Women Coalition – said: “Today’s announcement is a long overdue and important first step in the right direction.
“Gender-based violence is a pervasive and systemic issue that must be addressed across the football industry as a whole, with urgent and coordinated action.”
Featured Image – Premier League (via Flickr)
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Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
Emily Sergeant -
5th August 2022 
