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.”
Liverpool have won the Premier League title after a 5-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s men did it in impressive style, turning over Spurs in a convincing win.
It was a rocky start for the Reds after Dominic Solanke put the north London side ahead.
However, fortunes quickly changed in the first half as Liverpool scored three times without a response.
Captain Virgil van Dijk (centre) celebrates. Pic: Reuters
Salah on his knees in celebration after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott (below) and Jarell Quansah celebrate after full-time. Pic: PA
Slot cheers after the full-time whistle. Pic: AP
In the second half, it took until the 63rd minute for Mohamed Salah to make it 4-1 before a fifth followed.
The Reds have won the title in manager Arne Slot’s first season in charge, and move level with fierce rivals Manchester United on 20 league championships.
But it makes them arguably the most successful English club ever as they have won more European Cup or Champions League titles.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports after the final whistle: “It’s special and it’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s amazing.
“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we (are) truly deserved champions of England. (Liverpool is) the most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this. Let’s enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in.”
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas poses with a Premier League trophy cut out. Pic: Reuters
Manager Arne Slot and his team after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Slot took over last summer from Jurgen Klopp, who guided them to their previous and maiden Premier League title triumph in 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown saw matches played behind closed doors.
He is the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the fifth man to do so in a debut campaign after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini, and Antonio Conte.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “They [the players] did an outstanding job today. The main job was to win. Everyone said we had got it already. But we had to make sure and we got over the line.”
Several players, including Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah, played leading roles in both the 2025 and 2020 campaigns.
Van Dijk and Salah recently signed new contracts extending their careers at the club.
Mohamed Salah takes a selfie with fans after scouring the fourth Liverpool goal. Pic: AP
Fans at Anfield during the game. Pic: AP
Fans in the stands at Anfield before full-time. Pic: Reuters
Liverpool will have to wait until the final game of the season – at home to Crystal Palace on 25 May – to be presented with the Premier League trophy.
It will be the first time the club’s fans will have seen their side lift the top-flight title in person since 1990.
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Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform
Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
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