FURD
FURD has recently been involved in numerous activities to mark Black History Month and One Game, One Community Weeks of Action in football, including these:
Sheffield United v Burnley: FURD workers and volunteers handed out free anti-racist football resources, including a specially-produced Blades against Racism poster and Kick It Out magazines and stickers to fans before the match. Additionally, the club showcased the work of FURD's Sound Kickers music project, screening a video of the project on the big screen before the game. We still have copies of the poster and magazines - get in touch if you’d like any. FURD researcher Chris Stone took a group of refugees and asylum-seekers to their first professional football match, which ended in an exciting 3-3 draw.
As part of the Off the Shelf festival of reading and writing, Phil Vasili read from his book ‘Walter Tull 1888 -1918 Officer, Footballer' at the Showroom Cinema, Sheffield. Tull was both a war hero and football hero. The audience asked lots of questions and bought several copies of the book! The evening, which was co-ordinated by poet Ralph Hancock, included a discussion with some of the refugees and asylum-seekers who attended the Sheffield United v Burnley game, who spoke warmly about their experience and how it helped them feel part of the community.
Footballing Question Time Video Conference: In conjunction with FURD, Yorkshire and Humberside Grid for Learning (YHGFL) hosted a Video Conference session for schools which aimed to increase inclusion and the building of partnerships centred around football. The Video Conference was made up of a panel consisting of ex-professional footballer Earl Barrett of Kick It Out, Phil Vasili and FURD’s Howard Holmes, with five schools participating from Sheffield, Doncaster and Hull. The event received excellent feedback from the schools.
Sheffield Wednesday v Bournemouth: Members of the Sound Kickers group gave away copies of their CD at the match. Copies of the CD, which contains ten tracks showcasing a diverse array of talent amongst Sheffield’s young people, are available from FURD.