Baggies host dedicated Kick It Out fixture this weekend
This week’s fixture with Crystal Palace at The Hawthorns will see West Bromwich Albion host a dedicated fixture to the work of Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion organisation.
Since 1993, Kick It Out has worked throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change.
Throughout the 2016/17 season, Kick It Out is running an initiative – Call Full Time On Hate – which aims to utilise and engage the collective force of football to tackle discrimination and hate incidents at every level of the game. The initiative also seeks to highlight the positive messages of inclusion echoed by the football authorities, clubs, players, managers and supporters’ groups.
On the anniversary of Cyrille Regis, Brendon Batson and Laurie Cunningham representing Albion together for the first time, the Baggies are fully behind #CallFullTimeOnHate. And in addition to its support in the programme today the Baggies will be supporting the initiative on social media, as well as through Kick It Out posters and LED board advertisements inside the stadium.
Players will don Kick It Out t-shirts during the warm-up, with a Kick It Out promotional video shown on the big screen. The club will also show footage of Brendan Galloway and Matt Phillips visiting Glebefields Primary School where they taught schoolchildren about the importance of British Values.
Over the last year, Lord Herman Ouseley, Chair of Kick It Out, has reiterated with all of the football authorities his concerns on behalf of the organisation around rising levels of hate in society and believes support from professional clubs is an important step in tackling the issue.
“Our anti-hate initiative aims to build on existing positive education and awareness-raising projects supported by clubs and their Foundations in their local communities.
“Football is at the forefront of helping its fans, players and young people in their local communities to understand the damaging effects of prejudice and discriminatory abuse.
“Call Full Time On Hate aims to ensure the game remains as inclusive and welcoming as possible and that it reiterates a zero tolerance approach to discrimination.”