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Leeds United Anti-Racism Activity - Community
Department
Leeds United recognise that
unfortunately there is still the problem of racism within football whether that
be in the stands or on the pitch. Clubs are tackling this problem in a number
of ways to try and get the message across to their fans, the local community
and nationally across all football clubs, that in the 21st century racism is
no longer tolerable.
 The strategy that Leeds United has
developed aims to reach the wide spectrum of people that are our community.
This requires different communication techniques and a greater understanding of
the varying cultures and ethnic backgrounds within Leeds. In order to achieve
this we work closely with a number of organisations such as Kick Racism out
of Football, Leeds City Council Equal Opportunities, the Race Equality
Advisory Forum, Leeds United Fans Forum, local Schools, Hindu Charitable
Trust, Seikh Temple, ARC Theatre Group and many local ethnic minority
projects.
Detailed below are the specific projects
that Leeds United are involved in:
Marketing & Match-Day Promotions
Constant match-day activities
- Pitchside
Hoardings
- Match-day
programme ads and Chairman's message
- Match-day
announcements
Specific Match Promotion - Newcastle -
20th January 2001
- Anti-Racism
Hotline set up.
- Leaflets
20/01/01 - Chairman's statement
- Press
Conference 19/01/01 - As above
Specific Match Promotion - Leicester -
8th May 2001
- New 4
page anti-racism leaflet designed by the fans forum given out at the
match, see copy
- Pre-match
message encouraging people to type in the hotline number into their mobile
phone and report any incidents of racial abuse.
Specific Match Promotion - Troyes 18th October
2001
- 'Kick
it Out' football week - promotion of the Kick It Out campaign in
conjunction with other Premier League clubs
- Included
- programme article, mention in Chairman's message, Team Captains
message, Tannoy announcements, Players wearing Kick It Out' T-shirts
during warm up, all match-day staff wore KIO badges, photo opportunity
with key players
 Further match-day promotions will
continue in the forth-coming season.
General
- Team
posters carrying the Leeds United Against Racism message
Education Projects
- Leeds
United Against Racism Schools Project in association with the YEP -
includes:-
- Steve
Smith Learning Centre Manager working with local schools
- Players
visiting schools for Q & A sessions
- Monthly
Awards
The Leeds United Against Racism Schools
Project (LUARSP) was launched in association with the Yorkshire Evening Post
to recognise the commitment of schools working on racism issues. Leeds
United's Learning Centre Manager, Steve Smith, visits local schools to
explain how racism can happen both on and off the pitch. Motivated by what
can happen to their football heroes, the children develop strategies to
tackle racism, within the classroom, the school and the local community.
Every 6 weeks we then take players of different nationalities to visit a
school, present the LUARSP award and answer racism-related questions to
further their knowledge on the racism issue and congratulate them on their
hard work.
 The first award went to Farnley Park
High School who have worked extremely hard on the project to the extent of
the children setting up their own anti-racism committee, taking an active
role in the ethos of the school environment., FIFA Fair Play award winner,
Lucas Radebe and top striker Mark Viduka presented the award at a special
assembly. 500 pupils got to meet their football heroes as well as ask key
questions related to the issue of racism and football. Lucas and Mark talked
openly about their experiences whilst the children listened intently to the
different ways in which racism occurs when playing football. The visit was a
huge success and stirred public awareness of racist issues through a
week-long run of articles in the YEP which has resulted in a large number of
Leeds' schools contacting Leeds United to get involved in the project.
Other Education projects
- Learning
Through Football Days includes a session on racism issues
- Regular
contact with students supplying information on the work of the club in
relation to racism issues.
- Football
in the Community; football coaching sessions include anti-racism work.
- Show
Racism the Red Card Anti-Racism Competition in association with the
schools linked with Leeds United.
 External
Education Activity
At present the teaching team deliver 6,
half day sessions in primary schools working with 3 at present; It is
expected that the team will reach another 6 schools during the rest of the
school year. The programme is delivered using Leeds United as a case study in
terms of football players receiveing racist abuse and the 'Show Racism the
Red Card Video' in conjunction with the National Literacy Strategy and the
PSHCE Framework. A range of activities are undertaken depending on year group
but in the main cover the following:-
- Poster
design
- Role
play
- Story
writing
- Play
scripts
- Newspapers
- ITN
Videoed News Report
- Letter
Writing
- Show
Racism the Red Card
- Poetry
writing
- Diary
entries
- Drama
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Links with external organisations &
events
The ARC theatre group specialises in
hard-hitting plays and is sponsored by HSBC who organized a tour of the
play 'My England' in Leeds. One of the venues in Leeds was Elland Road and
we invited a wide range of community groups including the Sikh Temple, the
Hindu Charitable Trust, schools and businesses. The play 'My England'
focuses on a white England fan, a black England fan and a policewoman at an
England football match and examines the way they react with each other. The
play was important to create awareness and get people talking about the
issue of racism within football and the local community.
- Anti-Racism
Fans Forum - Set up specifically last season to look at improving
relations with ethnic minority fans and getting the message across
that Leeds Utd will not tolerate racism at any match.
- Leeds
United are building links with local ethnic minority groups including
giving out complimentary tickets to these groups to encourage them to
come to a match.
- Links
with Leeds City Council's Equal Opportunities department including
hosting the Stephen Lawrence Awards in October
- Kick
it Out - Anti-racism campaigning organization related to football.
- Show
Racism the Red Card
- Red
Card To Racism Football Tournament: signed merchandise, Copy for their
programme
- Big
Issue Big Difference Awards - We were in the shortlist last season for
an award recognising our Leeds United Against Racism Schools Project
detailed above.
- FARE
Action Week - 'United Colours of Football free fanzine distributed at
Southampton Game (Kick it Out & Football Unites/ Racism Divides
project)
- The
Leeds United Book Challenge presentation evening, Kick it Out
sponsored local poet Ansell Broderick to come along and entertain the
crowd with his insightful interactive poetry looking at how communities
should learn to get along and enjoy each others different cultures.
Olivier Dacourt also attended the event
- Leeds
United recently sponsored the Stephen Lawrence Awards which
congratulate schools on a yearly basis on their efforts to achieve a standard
against racism set by the Race Equality Advisory Forum. Lucas Radebe
attended the event and spoke about his childhood growing up in
apartheid.
- Racial
Harassment Project, re-launch. Emma Stanford, David Walker and Rio
Ferdinand to speak at the re-launch of the project, local celebrities
will also be speaking to try and raise the profile of the project both
within Leeds and Nationally.
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