Words by Jeffrey Arthur
As a Manchester United fan, praising Arsenal isn’t on the agenda – but their No More Red campaign is something we should all be proud of.
There are few clubs I hate dislike more than Arsenal Football Club. Pretty much everything about the Gunners annoys me. Except, that is, for their latest campaign.
For many United fans down south, it’s arguably our biggest modern rivalry. Save the Liverpool and City talk – both clubs were barely relevant during the best days of Fergie’s reds. And when those best days came to an end, we found ourselves pitted against Arsenal for the coveted top-four spot for years. Plus, given I grew up near London, it was Arsenal fans I spent a good chunk of my schooling years having heated arguments with.
Historically, the rivalry between the two clubs has always been pretty big, with the fixture producing moments forever seared into what Jose Mourinho would call ‘football heritage’: Wenger standing alone, arms out, after being dismissed from the technical box; United’s signing of Arsenal golden boy Robin van Persie; Keane and Vierra always being two seconds away from sending each other to the hospital.
You can argue (I won’t hear it), but no other English team commands more global respect than these two, and you’ll definitely find none with a bigger global reach or fan base.
But as the famed saying goes, there really are some things bigger than football. As I write, the streets of London – and other cities around the UK – continue to struggle with knife crime, with the lives of many young people and families ruined in the process. That – in addition to the largely ignorant and amateurish commentary surrounding the issue – makes it all the more troubling. Politicians, societal leaders and journalists are guilty of reducing what is a complex, multi-faceted issue into simple soundbites, with racist undertones and misleading information regularly used as tools in shaping public opinion.
In 2021, 30 teenagers were killed, a grim worst-ever total for the nation’s capital. Youth workers and community leaders are rightly concerned about the issue, and most of them have accused elected officials of failing to address it. The institutions charged with dealing with the issue seem woefully inadequate. After all, what else is to be expected when the very methods used – and assumptions made – belong in another century, let alone the modern era?
For those far removed from the issue, the causes of youth violence seem plainly obvious (probably because they heard or read it in some tabloid newspaper). And so to such people, the solutions seem fairly obvious, too. From the headlines and articles written, you’d think knife crime and youth violence are uniquely a ‘young Black boys’ problem. The results? High levels of stop and search (which doesn’t work) discriminatory police practices, and other discriminatory methods aimed largely at that specific group.
And with that comes the never-ending charade of young Black boys (I am one) across the country (particularly in London) being called upon to explain the fictional link between race and youth violence. The assumption being that this is a problem uniquely our own.
In a 2019 appearance on Good Morning Britain, Akala put it this way: “the social indicators for violent crime among young working-class street gangs have remained consistent for 200 years: relative poverty, masculinity, exposure to domestic violence, lack of education. So, the solutions are fairly obvious in many ways.” Race, then, has a limited – if any – role to play. A fact that should be plainly obvious to any reasonable person of sound mind.
He goes on to compare the issue of youth violence in London to that of Glasgow (once dubbed the most violent city in Europe), where the rates have dropped dramatically: “they took a public health, they took an inter-agency approach, they took an approach that saw violence in a holistic way.”
Youth violence is not some simple, black-and-white issue. And it’s definitely not a ‘Black boy’ problem. It requires careful analysis, free from racial and social bias; It demands a careful and considered approach, one that doesn’t pander to our individual biases or assumptions.
With their No More Red campaign, Arsenal are starting to do just that.
Last year, the likes of Idris Elba and club legend Ian Wright gave the campaign a much-needed boost. Together with club kit makers, Adidas, they created an all-white kit, replacing the club’s iconic red colours (for a one-off game). In its statement, the club said: “No More Red will build on Arsenal in the Community’s work with young people in the capital, as well as providing more safe, positive spaces for young people and spotlighting talented individuals who are making a positive difference in their community.”
But the true reach and impact of this campaign stretch far beyond the club’s 60 thousand-seater staduim. Alongside the white kit, the club took meaningful steps aimed at making an actual impact: investing in local communities and creating safe spaces; providing mentoring schemes and programmes; establishing networks and resources. By taking a holistic approach, the club is setting an example of just how this issue can be solved.
It was pretty great, too, to see the club’s young stars fully involved in the campaign, giving it a much-needed publicity boost. The shirts are not to be sold. Instead, they’ll be gifted to persons and organisations doing the important work of addressing youth violence, allowing it to retain its value and symbolic significance.
To non-football fans, our obsession with the sport will forever be puzzling. When Pelé first spoke of “the beautiful game”, I imagine he meant more than the 90 minutes of football. He was also probably talking about the intensity of emotion, the transformative power of the game, and the sport’s ability to effect positive change.
No More Red is “the beautiful game” personified. It is the very best of football, I think, and shows its unrivalled ability to bring together people from all walks of life. When the Gunners stepped out in their all-white kit during the first instalment of the campaign, that’s the point they were making.
The campaign is back, giving the club and everyone concerned another chance to make a difference. My footballing loyalties will forever remain with the Red Devils – but when Arsenal step out in their all-white kit again, they’ll have my full support.
And I hope they have yours, too.
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