Arsenal to wear all-white kit in home game for first time as part of campaign against knife crime
Arsenal players will wear an all-white kit at home for the first time in the club’s history as part of a campaign against knife crime and youth violence.
The north London club’s players will take on Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup at the Emirates on Sunday in the No More Red kit.
Arsenal’s women’s team will also wear the kit for the first time when they face Watford in the FA Cup fourth round at Meadow Park on 14 January.
The kit, drained of the club’s traditional colour, was launched in January 2022 by Arsenal and Adidas with the aim of helping “keep young people safe from knife crime and youth violence”.
Arsenal players last wore the No More Red kit against Oxford United in January 2023
The kit will never be put on sale, the club says, but a new bespoke “community T-shirt” will be available to purchase from Arsenal stores for £30, with all profits going to their charity partners.
No More Red shirts have been given exclusively to community champions since the launch of the initiative to reward them for making a positive difference in London.
Eddie Nketiah
Talking about the campaign’s importance, London-born Arsenal star Eddie Nketiah told Sky Sports News: “It’s a lovely campaign, one that I really support.
“Keeping kids occupied and keeping them busy always helps lower the rate of crime. I think it’s really important.
“Growing up in areas where there’s not as much opportunity… we can show that you have those chances to get your mind off things and get away and get in that safe space where you feel at home and feel comfortable.”
Arsenal’s players pictured with members of the north London community in the all-white kit
Through the campaign, Arsenal are refurbishing a third community pitch at Mayville Estate, Islington, in early 2024.
They say the refurbishment of the first two pitches since the campaign launched has led to more than 500 participants playing across 200 sessions, as well as more than 9,000 open access hours provided for the local community.
Freddie Hudson, head of the club’s wider non-profit, Arsenal in the Community, said: “No More Red provides a unique opportunity to highlight almost four decades of our local community work that has helped to keep thousands of young people safe.
“Young people face multiple challenges as they grow up in today’s world and we don’t have all the answers, but we are confident that by acting together and shining a light on the support network available across our community, we can make a significant contribution to the lives of our participants.”
Chris Walsh, VP Brand Northern Europe at adidas, added: “Since we first launched No More Red in 2022, we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm from supporters wanting to contribute to the initiative.
“Whilst the No More Red shirt will never be commercially available, the introduction of the No More Red community T-shirt will give supporters an opportunity to show their support, and a way of making a direct impact.”
The FA has launched an investigation into allegations that suspended Premier League referee David Coote discussed giving a yellow card ahead of a match.
Mr Coote booked Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski during a match against West Brom in October 2019.
The Sun claims that the day before, he discussed carding the player with a Leeds fan he had met online, then after the game messaged him saying: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
Mr Coote insists nothing improper took place.
He said in a statement: “I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations.
“Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field.
“I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
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The previous comments Coote made about Liverpool
An investigation has now been opened to get to the bottom of the claims surrounding the already-suspended referee.
Previously, a video emerged showing Mr Coote snorting a white powder.
That came after another video showed Mr Coote in a foul-mouthed rant about Liverpool FC and their then-boss Jurgen Klopp.
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After the most recent allegations, a spokesperson for Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) told Sky Sports News: “The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations.
“We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our Integrity Code of Conduct, which is signed by all match officials on an annual basis.
“PGMOL Board is committed to taking the appropriate action should any breach of that Code be proven.
“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate to the investigation into this matter which will be carried out independently by The FA.”
It added: “We will be making no further comment at this stage.”
Davina McCall has said she is feeling “stronger and stronger” every day after having brain tumour surgery.
In an update posted to Instagram, the TV presenter emphasised the importance of sleep during her recovery after having a benign brain tumour, known as a colloid cyst, removed.
Sporting a bruised left eye, McCall said she is being “brilliantly” looked after by her boyfriend, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and stepmum Gabby and is “just trying to sleep a lot” and “get better”.
Earlier this week, the star said she was suffering with short-term memory problems, due to the operation. But on Wednesday, she said that her memory is now “improving”.
“My short-term memory is really improving a lot every day,” she said, adding: “It has been an example to me of how much sleep helps me recover from everything.
Pic: Instagram/Davina McCall
“If I feel a bit confused or I’m struggling to concentrate, I just got to sleep, and I wake up just completely renewed and refreshed.
“I know that my brain needs lots of sleep.”
The 57-year-old ended the update by thanking fans for their “ongoing support”.
‘Out of the woods’
Speaking during a livestream on Tuesday, McCall’s partner Douglas said the star is “definitely out of the woods” during her recovery.
McCall with her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson. Pic: PA
“She’s quite tired at the moment. She sleeps really well at night and goes to bed at 10pm and has a nap in the morning, and sleeps for two or three hours in the afternoon,” he said.
He added that the presenter is off work until mid-January and has “a lot of time to relax and recuperate”.
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Douglas told fans: “It’s been a very, very emotional and quite an incredible experience. We’re definitely out of the woods.”
McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.
She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and together they present a weekly lifestyle podcast called Making The Cut.
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