Arsenal stars to wear white kit for ‘No More Red’ knife crime campaign
While politicians and police search for solutions, football is trying to tackle the scourge of knife crime and youth violence.
Arsenal’s players will use their platform for activism in matches tomorrow by wearing shirts drained of the traditional red.
They’re hoping the message reaches and resonates with youngsters that no more blood should be shed and carrying a knife is never the right choice.
Kelyan Bokassa, 14, was stabbed to death in Woolwich. Pic: Met Police / PA
The trauma felt in southeast London this week provided a tragically timely reminder why the “No More Red” campaign is needed. Kelyan Bokassa, 14, was stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich.
The Arsenal fan was the first teenager killed in London this year after 10 fatalities in 2023 – nine of whom were fatally stabbed.
It was the murder of 16-year-old Gunners’ fan Ben Kinsella in 2008 that led to the creation of an anti-knife crime charity in his memory, which now partners with the club and shirt sponsor Adidas.
All-white shirts will be worn in the biggest men’s FA Cup match of the third round when Arsenal host Manchester United.
For 18-year-old rising talent Myles Lewis-Skelly, it is about helping fellow youths and “making sure that they’re safe”.
“It’s just so important that we start to advocate,” he told Sky News.
“Arsenal live by their principles to help people and help people grow, help people stay together. And just this campaign, we really help people out.”
Ahead of the women’s FA Cup match against Bristol City, Alessia Russo visited a pitch near Arsenal’s stadium that the club’s backing to provide safe places to play football.
The England star wants communities to champion role models rather than being devastated by the knife tragedies that trouble her.
“It is scary and it’s a shame that things are still happening,” Russo told Sky News.
‘Sport has the power to change so much,’ says Alessia Russo
Arsenal is backing this pitch as a safe space for young people
“I think sport has the power to change so much and we don’t even see the half of it. And this is one thing. It’s definitely a big issue, an important issue that we need to be tackling.
“To have places like this where it is safe and it is accessible, and it’s where people can feel happy and enjoy football.”
The hope is youngsters see there are paths other than violence – even without making it as a professional footballer.
Arsenal and their campaign partners are trying to offer solutions rather than suggesting a change of shirts for one match is the solution to the knife crime epidemic.
The Ben Kinsella Trust has logged a rise in teenage deaths since starting “No More Red” with Arsenal in 2022.
Ben Kinsella, 16 , was stabbed to death in 2008
But surrounded by pictures of Ben Kinsella, trust CEO Patrick Green told Sky News: “I know it’s made a difference because in the time we’ve been working together with Arsenal and the other partners of No More Red, more young people have accessed our services, more people know about what we do.
“We’ve been able to keep more young people safe than ever before thanks to this campaign.”
South London club Charlton Athletic have been running the Street Violence Ruins Lives initiative since 2008 – yet the death of Kelyan Bokassa was not the only teen stabbing in the nearby Woolwich area in the first week of 2025.
The message from the Ben Kinsella Trust is that “violence is not inevitable – it’s preventable”.
Mr Green is highlighting the importance of investing in youngsters, harnessing their talents and providing job opportunities.
“We know if you give people positive interventions they will thrive and do fantastic things,” he said.
“It also gives you the resilience and knowledge to know about gangs, grooming and gives you the strength to make good decisions.”
England star Jess Carter says she has been the victim of racist abuse online during the UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland.
The Lionesses defender, who has 49 England caps, said she will be “taking a step back from social media and leaving it to a team to deal with”.
In an Instagram post, the 27-year-old player said: “From the start of the tournament, I have experienced a lot of racial abuse. Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don’t agree or think it’s ok to target someone’s appearance or race.”
Jess Carter. Pic: PA
Carter said she was stepping back from social media to “protect myself in a bid to keep my focus on helping the team anyway I can”.
She added: “Hopefully speaking out will make the people writing this abuse think twice so that others won’t have to deal with it.”
Carter also said that England have made some “historic changes with the Lionesses squad” that she was “so proud” of, and she hopes that by speaking out about racial abuse “it will make another positive change for all”.
‘Abhorrent abuse’
The Football Association leadership has condemned the “abhorrent abuse” against Carter and has contacted UK police about it.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said in a statement: “Our priority is Jess and giving her all the support she needs. We strongly condemn those responsible for this disgusting racism.
“As soon as we were made aware of the racist abuse Jess received, we immediately contacted UK police. They are in touch with the relevant social media platform, and we are working with police to ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice.”
Carter during a training session in Switzerland. Pic: PA
The Lionesses said in a statement: “We stand with Jess and all Lionesses players past and present who have suffered racism.
“No one should have to endure such vile abuse, be that in football or any walk of life.”
They added: “Those behind this online poison must be held accountable.”
Anger and sadness
England teammate Lucy Bronze said there was “anger” and “sadness” among the squad following the abuse.
Bronze said: “I think we all know that any player of colour that’s played for England has probably gone through racist abuse. That’s a sad fact.”
She told Sky News’ sports correspondent Rob Harris that social media platforms need to be held more accountable.
Bronze added: “People need to be held accountable for their actions, whether it’s in-person or online. The abuse is not okay. Racism is not okay.”
Read more from Sky News:
Lionesses ‘very optimistic’ Williamson will be fit for semi-final
Team went from sloppy to celebratory in nerve-shredding quarters
The prime minister said on X that there was “no place for racism in football or anywhere in society”.
Sir Keir Starmer added: “I stand with Jess, the Lionesses, and any players who have suffered racism, on and off the pitch.”
Carter has started all four of England’s games at the tournament.
The defending champions face Italy on Tuesday night in Geneva in the Euros semi-finals. If they win and reach the final, they will play either Germany or Spain, who face each other on Wednesday.
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The Lionesses also said that until now, they have chosen to take the knee before matches.
“It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism,” they said.
England won’t be taking the knee before semi-final
The Lionesses said they have agreed as a squad to remain standing before kick-off in the match against Italy.
“We hope the game can come together to see what more can be done.”
Kneeling, a symbolic anti-racism gesture, came to prominence in 2016 when NFL player Colin Kaepernick knelt in protest during the United States national anthem and became more widespread during the Black Lives Matter movement.
As head of football’s anti-racism body, there was dread for Sanjay Bhandari watching England’s Women’s Euros quarter-final with Sweden.
But that’s, grimly, how it always is. Concerned that black players will be singled out for blame. Not with a legitimate critique of their performances, but with toxicity and racism.
And now Kick It Out is working with the Football Association to support Jess Carter after the England defender spoke out over the abuse she has been targeted with throughout the Women’s European Championship.
The players want social media firms to do more, but Mr Bhandari, the Kick It Out chairman, is concerned by their limited approach to the scourge of online hate.
Jess Carter says she has been the target of racist abuse. Pic: PA
“The social media companies need to do far more,” he told Sky News. “They’ve actually gone backwards over the last four or five years, not forwards. It’s got worse on social media, not better.
“And they need to provide us with the tools to help keep us safe and to remove some of this toxicity from the platforms. They’re just not doing enough.
“I would say that X is the worst. It has become no-holds-barred.
“And with Instagram, it is much more in the direct messaging, and I think there needs to be much more done there to protect people from those messages.”
Meta, which owns Instagram, did not reply to a request for comment.
There was no response from an email sent to X’s press email address.
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‘People need to be held accountable’ after Euros racism
LinkedIn indicated that X’s UK managing director Jonathan Lewis’s account had seen a request for comment, but there was no response.
On Friday, Mr Lewis and Premier League club Burnley were celebrating a new partnership in an announcement that made no mention of the abuse that many players across the world face on X.
The hope is that the Online Safety Act will lead to social media firms implementing the safety tools required of them.
Mr Bhandari said: “They have to be enforced by law enforcement against individual perpetrators, and also the regulatory parts need to be forced against the social media companies to force them to do the things that they need to do.”
Grimly familiar situation
The FA reported the abuse suffered by Carter to police, and the hope is for speedy action because this is a grimly familiar situation.
After the men’s Euros final in 2021, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were racially abused after missing penalties in the shootout defeat to Italy.
Bukayo Saka was among the England players targeted after missing penalties in the Euros final. Pic: Reuters
While players have been taking a knee against racism in men’s and women’s games, the Lionesses feel that is no longer enough at these Euros.
They will stand instead before the semi-final with Italy because they say a new approach is needed to tackle racism.
Read more from Sky News:
Lionesses ‘very optimistic’ Williamson will be fit for semi-final
Team went from sloppy to celebratory in nerve-shredding quarters
Carter didn’t just face racism around the quarter-final that England won on penalties after fighting back from 2-0 down against Sweden here in Zurich.
She has been subjected to abuse throughout the Euros.
“I’m really feeling for Jess and what’s sad is that this is shocking, but not surprising,” Mr Bhandari said.
“I watch every England game, at every tournament, with the fear that after the match, there’s going to be abuse of a black player using the spurious basis of performance as an excuse to justify unjustifiable racism. All racism is unjustifiable.
“The fact that someone’s had a good or bad game in your opinion does not justify that kind of racist abuse.”
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