When Aaron Tshibola started discussing the declining use of the small cage pitches on which he developed the talents to become a professional footballer, it was one of those moments that makes you realise you may have grown up in the same country as somebody but they are describing an entirely different world.
Newham, a borough in east London, has been one of the capital’s worst-hit areas as knife crime cases reached a record high last year.
In an interview with me back in May, Tshibola, a 27-year-old now playing in Turkey, spoke out about the mindless killings of teenagers where he grew up, of kids having “to go to football with weapons because their environment has made them afraid”, of how it’s “no longer safe to be out on the street walking around.”
Six months later, knife crime caused the highest number of teenager murders in London since records began. It’s why it’s so important Arsenal are using their image, their brand, their homegrown stars, their status as one of London’s leading football clubs, to raise awareness of an escalating issue, to plea for peace. When football speaks, teenagers listen. It’s one of the wonderful things about the game.
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No More Red, Arsenal’s campaign says. And on Sunday, when they play Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round, the players will replace their red jersey with a one-off, all white kit, collaborating with Adidas in the hope of making a dent in the knife crime statistics.
In football, like in many sports, there are few ways better to make a point than donning the colours of your rivals. For one game only, Tottenham Hotspur will not be the only north London top flight club in white.
And Arsenal have amplified the message by adding London-born actor Idris Elba’s Hollywood stardust, former striker Ian Wright’s legendary appeal, Emile Smith Rowe’s homegrown success, combining it all in a thought-provoking video that had already been shared thousands of times within hours of the club posting it.
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— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 7, 2022
Last year saw a record number of teenagers murdered in London.
It's time to make a real change, through real action.
Our white shirt is not for sale, not for profit. No More Red. pic.twitter.com/jnmE4b0GpC
“Our future stars live yards from this stadium,” Elba says, gesturing to the Emirates.
“They look to this place, as we all do, for inspiration,” Wright adds.
“It’s getting harder to see though,” Elba says. “They’re looking elsewhere, they’re looking over their shoulder. There’s blades, there’s beef, it’s madness. These kids are killing their future.”
Football fans love a new kit and they salivated in the comments sections about the all-white look, desperate to buy one, asking if fake versions were available. The kit is not-for-profit and not for sale, presumably to increase the value of those worn and auctioned at a later date.
“No more red,” Elba says.
“No more red,” Smith Rowe says.
“No more red,” Wright says.
No More Red, no more dead.
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