With Arsenal’s substandard display against Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup firmly planted in recent memory, one aspect of the match has stayed in the minds of many people across the nation. Arsenal’s purely white kit.
Representing a message that goes further than football, ‘No more red’ is a campaign attempting kick out youth violence, with a particular emphasis on knife crime, in the capital of England. Between June 2020-2021, there had been over 10,000 knife crimes in London. In other words, an average of over 27 knife crime incidents per day, just in the capital alone. If we include the top 10 worst affected areas in England from knife crime, it falls to just under 28,000 incidents of knife violence per year; or the equivalent of 76 incidents per day.
Knife crime has only become worse in recent years, making headlines as recently as December 30 when a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death, becoming the 30th teenager to succumb to the blade in 2021. A statistic shocking alone, but further accentuated by the fact that this number renders 2021 the year with the most teenage stabbings in the capital, surpassing the figure of 29 in 2008. Four of the 2021 victims were only 14 years old, and no older than a Year 9 student. A pandemic taking far to many lives, and far too many futures.
Arsenal has taken it upon themselves to attempt to try and tackle the amount of youth violence within London. With help of sponsor Adidas and celebrity Idris Elba, Arsenal will build on their already successful community work and create new areas for young individuals to make a positive impact within their community. As part of their campaign, Arsenal have made an unprecedented step in replacing their iconic red strip with an entirely white kit for the Cup fixture against Nottingham Forest. Although the jersey will never be available for commercial purchase, Arsenal will be rewarding members of the local community who are leading the charge against youth violence.
The 10 match-worn kits by outfield Arsenal players in the match were immediately donated to local organisations that are already doing work to stop knife crime from happening and getting to the roots of youth violence. These organisations are:
- Arsenal in the Community
- The Stephen Lawrence day Foundation
- Steel Warriors
- Don’t Stab your Future
- Box Up Crime
- Copenhagen Youth Project
- St Giles Trust
- Abianda
- Octopus Community Network
- The Ben Kinsella Trust
Idris Elba who is the founder of ‘Don’t Stab your Future’ stated:
‘From the time young people leave school until they’re at home with their family, there is often a void, a dangerous spike of nothing to do, where nothing can easily turn into something dangerous. If there continue to be no options for this after school period, we will always see gangs form. Let’s create options for these people.’
Former Arsenal star, Ian Wright, also commented on the situation:
‘Every young person deserves the opportunity to express themselves. The opportunity to exist within a safe environment. The opportunity to live free from fear of violence. We can never accept the loss of life through youth violence as ‘normal’ in our city and it’s so important that we all work together to create a better environment for young people.’
Arsenal already boast an extensive 35-year history in supporting young people living in inner-city London. By starting the ‘No More Red’ campaign, Arsenal are not only preventing knife crime from happening in the capital; but they are giving young adults an opportunity at a second chance. Offering sporting scholarships, mentorship for talented individuals and providing safe spaces, education and amazing opportunities for members of the London community.
The white shirt has become a beacon of light for London in a time when the subject of knife crime has cast a dark shadow over the capital. As young adults need it most, Arsenal has taken the leap and stepped up. Give flowers to the people who spear-headed this initiative, and cemented Arsenal Football Club as not just a sporting organisation, but a family for the community.
