Schoolchildren show racism the red card

Students from Thrybergh Academy, Wickersley School and Sports College, Oakwood High School and St Bernard's Catholic High School, attended the recent Show Racism the Red Card event at the AESSEAL New York Stadium. They are pictured with campaign co-ordinator Gavin Sutherland, campaigner James Kingett (right), Premier League Kicks co-ordinator and NCS assistant officer Ben Winter (centre right) and inclusion and disability officer Trudi Race (centre left). 170499-4

Show Racism the Red Card held a day-long conference for 65 high school students at the New York Stadium on Friday to challenge stereotypes and explore the issue of racism.

The Year 7 pupils who took part welcomed the chance to find out about what racism and hate crime mean and how they can affect the lives and careers of footballers, young people and the public.

They were shown a video in which footballers such as Thierry Henry, Rachel Yankey and Jason Roberts and coaches including Alan Pardew revealed their experiences of racist abuse in football and encouraged them to “Show Racism the Red Card”.

It also explained about the history of racism in Britain and told the story of 18-year-old student Anthony Walker, who was murdered in a race attack in 2005.

Several students said they had been shocked by Anthony’s story and vowed to report racist incidents if they witnessed them.

Roma Cartlidge (12), a Year 7 student from Wickersley School, said she had not previously known what hate crime was.

“This event has encouraged me to approach people in different groups because we are all the same,” she said. “And I would definitely report something if I saw it happen.”

Ruby Larissey, a Year 7 student at St Bernard’s High School in Herringthorpe, said she had never witnessed hate crime but added: “Hearing about the abuse footballers have got and how someone can get killed over racism does make you scared.”

Fellow St Bernard’s pupil Eoin Howett (11), from Rawmarsh, also praised the awareness day, saying it had been good to learn more about racism and hate crime.

“I knew it was a bad thing but I learned more about it,” he said.

Thrybergh Academy student Ebony Taylor said the school had chosen two pupils from each class to attend and she had found it valuable as it broadened her knowledge.

“It’s something I got a lot out of,” she said.

“I learned about how racism can affect people’s lives and careers and how football teams chose players from different backgrounds for their abilities, whatever their race.”

Show Racism the Red Card is holding 15 educational events at football clubs across the country as part of a project supported by Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), which will also include work in schools and teacher training.

Campaign worker James Kingett, who led the question and answer session on Friday alongside members of Rotherham United Community Sports Trust, said afterwards that it was no coincidence one of the events was being held in Rotherham, given the number of recent far-right protest marches in the town.

But he added that SRTRC were also linking up with football clubs that had been supportive in the past.

Rotherham United had been inducted into the project’s Hall of Fame for its Community Sports Trust’s consistent work with the campaign over many years, he said,

“The message is that sometimes we put people in groups and judge them on what is different but we all have a lot in common,” said Mr Kingett.

“Just because we have different skin colour it doesn’t mean we can’t have the same interests.”