Black Cats kick racism into touch
Press release from Sunderland AFC:
Sunderland Football Club are joining forces with the organisation 'Kick it Out' to promote National Week of Anti-Racism, from 16th - 28th October 2003.
The club will be participating in a host of activities, culminating in an anti-racism day at the Stadium of Light on Saturday 18th October as the Black Cats take on Walsall.
Sunderland's first team players will be showing their support for the campaign by wearing 'Kick it Out' T-shirts during the pre-match warm-up and posing for a team photograph. Youngsters from Laygate Junior School in South Tyneside will be taking part in 5-a-side exhibition match on the pitch at half time and anti-racism material will be distributed throughout the stadium.
All the Club's stewards and security staff, who undergo comprehensive training in dealing with all forms of racist behaviour, will be wearing "Kick It Out" badges to help drive home the clubs anti-racism message and there will be announcements on both the stadium pa system and electronic scoreboard prior to the game and at half-time.
Black Cat midfielder Matt Piper will kick off the week of action with a visit to the Stadium of Light Education Centre on Wednesday 15th October to participate in a question and answer session on the subject of cultural diversity and anti-racism with children from Broadway Junior School, Sunderland.
Manager Mick McCarthy said "At Sunderland Football Club we have players from a whole host of countries who work together as a team. There is no room for racism of any kind within the game and our community. We want everyone to feel welcome at the Stadium of Light regardless of their colour or nationality and we wholeheartedly support this initiative as part of our on-going commitment to kick racism out of football."
SAFC has a zero-tolerance policy towards racism and anti-social behaviour of any kind at the Stadium of Light and became the first club in the country to have its own dedicated anti-racism hotline to deal with any reports of racist abuse and chanting in the strictest confidence. The freephone number is 08000 851 855 and is available 24 hours a day.
Lord Herman Ousely, Chairman of "Kick it Out" commented: "The range and breadth of both community and club based activities taking place during the week of action are a testament to the progress we are making against racism in the game."
To access the Kick It Out website, click
here.
