Idris Elba on the power of football – and how it can help tackle knife crime
Idris Elba hopes providing more access to football in communities will deter youngsters from knife crime and he urged other industries to follow the Premier League’s lead.
The actor dropped in on a session run by the West Ham Foundation – part of the league’s Kicks programme supporting youngsters at risk of anti-social behaviour and youth violence by providing free weekly football.
While it could offer pathways in the sport – including coaching the next generation – Elba sees how it provides the toolset for personal development in life more broadly.
“Football has an amazing aggregated power,” Elba told Sky News. “I think that is a really good sort of example for other industries to think about mentorship programmes.
“Apprenticeship programmes that can just give young people (opportunities) because not every kid wants to play football.
“But at least we’re seeing the Premier League do something. The big tech companies, motor industry companies should say, ‘Hey, what can we do with the young people? What are their interests?'”
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The Premier League has invested more than £90m in the Kicks programme across two decades with a particular focus on reducing violent behaviour.
The need for such a scheme was reinforced by the fatal stabbings of 10 teenagers in London last year being followed by a 14-year-old’s killing in the first week of 2025.
Elba speaking about the Premier League’s work to tackle knife crime
It is a year since Elba launched his own campaign, Don’t Stop Your Future, to call for greater urgency in addressing the knife crime crisis.
“Where there are young people aggregating around football, around teams, should we be messaging that knife crime is no good? Absolutely. Yes,” Elba said. “We should be messaging that wherever you can.
“Just listen to a young person once. If you’ve never asked them what their feelings are about knife crime, about what they want to do with their lives, do it. That’s one thing… The answer is up to you, but ultimately, you’re beginning the conversation.”
It was a conversation Elba had earlier this week in Dagenham with young players and coaches alongside a roundtable with community leaders impacted by knife crime.
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From September 2024: ‘Talk is good, action is more important’
“I absolutely feel that the more we talk, we can do about this, the better,” Elba said.
“Are there mechanisms where football can play a part in a larger scale? Absolutely. Let’s hope that we can all put our thinking caps on.”
That is working – as the Premier League does – with police to confront the knife crime epidemic.
“It feels probably to many that not enough is being done,” Met Police Commander Stephen Clayman, the national policing lead for knife crime, told Sky News pitchside at the Kicks programme.
“But actually, you see things like this. You only need to change the direction of a number of people. You’ve already made a huge difference.
“What you need is more of this, more investment in youth services, in these types of things, and then you start making the difference.”
Met Commander Stephen Clayman
But can football really make communities safer by providing access to football? Or is it for authorities to search for more impactful interventions – by increasing the number of officers on the beat?
Read more:
One in five teachers ‘have seen students with knives’
“Having more cops can make a difference in some areas for enforcement, but it’s not just about enforcement,” Commander Clayman said.
“You’re only going to really tackle this if you get to the root cause of why someone feels they have to pick up a knife in the first place.
“That’s not going to be the police solving that. That’s going to be people with some of the sort of coaches and mentors here that will do that and all the other services around. That’s what will make the real difference over time. It’s never going to be a quick fix.”
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From January: Britain’s knife crime epidemic
But football is trying to help in any way it can to prevent the tragedies that trouble West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen.
“Things like this really help people get off the streets and really do something with their life and make a real powerful change – I think it’s such a really important thing,” he said in an interview.
“It teaches them good habits and it teaches them a lot of different things as well. They spoke about the mental side of football and the technical side also.
“I think it also teaches about social skills. You have to play as a team, people making friendships here as well. So, I think it’s a really powerful positive thing.”
UK
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Two firefighters and a member of the public have died in a large fire in Bicester, the fire service announced.
The firefighters died in the inferno at a former RAF base in Oxfordshire, which now hosts historic motoring and aviation centre Bicester Motion.
The local fire service was called to the scene at 6.39pm last night.
Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall said: “It is with a very heavy heart that we today report the loss of two of our firefighters. Families have been informed and are being supported.
“Our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times and we ask for privacy to be respected.
“We cannot release any details at present but will provide further information as soon as we can.”
Two other firefighters sustained serious injuries and are currently being treated in hospital, Oxfordshire County Council said in a statement.
Footage shared on social media shows plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and flames swallowing the large building.
Clouds of smoke from the fire were billowing into the sky last night. Pic:@kajer87X
Two firefighters and one other person died in the fire, while two more firefighters were seriously injured. Pic: PA
Ten fire crews attended the incident, with four remaining at the scene. The fire is still ongoing, but it is considered under control.
Local residents were advised to remain indoors and keep their windows shut, but this advice has now been lifted.
Bicester Motion said in a statement it would be closed today and over the weekend.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
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