Bournemouth Football Club is preparing to review its stewarding arrangements after a female fan lodged a complaint with anti-discrimination group Kick It Out. The complaint concerned being searched by a male member of staff at the Vitality Stadium.
The issue is believed to have arisen from the installation of new perimeter fencing and entry gates at the stadium. These changes are part of Bournemouth's £90m expansion project, which aims to increase the stadium's capacity from 11,286 to approximately 20,200.
Several women were reportedly redirected to different entrances due to a lack of female stewards, while others agreed to be searched by male staff. While there is no suggestion of inappropriate behaviour, and trained male stewards can conduct searches with consent, guidance strongly recommends same-gender searches.
Kick It Out's complaint did not allege misconduct but raised concerns about the processes at the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth is aware of the complaint and is willing to open an investigation if sufficient information is received.