No More Red Kit to be worn at home for the first time
Alongside adidas, we are proud to announce that our men’s first-team will wear the No More Red kit, drained of the club’s traditional red, for the first time in a home fixture when we face Liverpool in the FA Cup third round.
The match, on Sunday, January 7, will mark the third consecutive season we have worn the No More Red kit. Our women’s team will also don the all-white kit on-pitch for the first time when we face Watford in the FA Cup fourth round at Meadow Park on January 14.
No More Red was launched in January 2022 to support Arsenal's long-standing work to help keep young people safe from knife crime and youth violence.
The kit will never be for sale, but a new bespoke community t-shirt will be available to purchase from club stores later this year - and 100 per cent of the retail price (£30) of each t-shirt will be donated in equal proportions to each of the following No More Red Charity Partners: The Arsenal Foundation, Abianda (Abi Billinghurst & Associates), Octopus Community Network Limited, Box Up Crime, Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, Ben Kinsella Trust, Copenhagen Youth Project and St Giles Trust.
In 2024, we will build on the work done since the inception of No More Red by:
- Investing in more safe spaces to play football with the opening of a third refurbished community pitch at Mayville Estate, Islington in early 2024 – the two pitches refurbished since the launch of No More Red have seen 650 hours of organised activity delivered, engaging more than 500 participants across 200 sessions, as well as more than 9,000 open access hours provided for the local community
- Continuing its mentor-led Social Action Projects which have so far given 83 young people an opportunity to gain experience in creative industries
- Continuing its volunteer incentive scheme alongside the No More Red charity partners, where supporters can donate their time to support the charities
- Awarding No More Red shirts to community champions who are making a positive difference, adding to the 79 previous recipients who have been recognised since the launch of the initiative
Freddie Hudson, Head of 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.”
No More Red builds on close to 40 years of Arsenal’s work in the local community. This work provides a significant contribution to help young people thrive by supplying safe spaces to play sport, access to trusted role models, opportunities to prosper and a sense of belonging.
Kai
Kai is an Arsenal in the Community sessional coach who grew up on the Harvist Estate, where he now holds coaching sessions.
“The first thing people take notice of is the white kit - when I saw that in the first year of the campaign, I wanted to learn more about No More Red.
"It’s not just about wearing a white kit though. It’s more about giving opportunities to young people and creating safe spaces to help them push towards their dreams.
"In the second year of the campaign, I saw it as a young person, because I’m only 22. I wanted to do more. I wanted to show I’m part of it and what I’ve done myself to keep my commitment to trying to help young people stay off the streets and push on towards their goals.
"This year is the third year and I’m seeing the campaign more as a coach now. What’s my responsibility? How can I help? What can I do to help young people out?
"I’m with these young people every week. Seeing how they behave, what their goals are, what they want to do - it motivates me more to do a bit extra myself to make sure they are safe and not doing any of the bad stuff.
"At the end of it, that’s our responsibility. Over the three years, I’ve looked at it as a fan, a young person and a coach.
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This year is the third year and I’m seeing the campaign more as a coach now. What’s my responsibility? How can I help? What can I do to help young people out?
"We had safe spaces when we were younger, but we didn’t have enough of them. Going back to Harvist was my safe space because it’s around the corner from my house.
"It helped me develop as a person, as a footballer and as a coach. I kept in contact with coaches from the sessions.
"I kept going and I took an interest in Arsenal in the Community. I thought to myself it was something I wanted to do.
"What inspired me was seeing the two coaches I had - they helped me improve as a footballer but, more importantly, they helped me improve as a person. That was what I took from the sessions - how can I improve as a person?”
Mark Christodoulou
Mark is Islington Council’s Head of Parks and Leisure. He has worked closely with Arsenal and adidas to refurbish the three No More Red pitches in Islington. Islington has a significant lack of green space, so Mark’s role is integral to helping create safe spaces for young people.
“The two pitches that have been delivered to date - one at Harvist Estate and the other at King Square - were already 3g pitches but they were coming to the end of their tenure.
"We had successful programmes and partnerships at those pitches - and adidas and Arsenal both recognised the role they had played. They wanted to build on that role and expand the programmes on those sites.
"Although it’s only in the early years since they’ve been delivered - and we had the impacts of a major flood on one of those - we’ve already seen benefits, with young people becoming coaches and some of those coaches then going on to work for the club, in the community programme.”
Gavin
Gavin is a local young person who is on a positive journey and aiming to inspire others through his experiences. Gavin is part of the Peer Advisory Group for the Islington Youth Offending Service and was awarded a NMR shirt in recognition of the changes he has made.
“Positive role models lead the way - they show you what way to go. Role models are very important. I’ve had bad role models but, as time goes on, you start looking for the right role models and luckily enough, they came.
"You need people who will tell you the right thing to do - you’ll definitely have people telling you the wrong things, so it’s crucial to have people telling you to do right.
"It’s also about seeing that you can do better, that there’s an option to be better. If I didn’t see that option, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.
"But I had a glimpse and saw that I could do something, because somebody else was doing it or because I’d seen it in a book.
"It can be something as simple as being at a Kicks session and seeing people who were really good at football. You aspire to be like that. It was more looking at the positive around and shutting out the negative.
"It’s about changing your mentality, changing the way you speak to people.
"You’re in one life and you’re trying to transition to another. You have to sort your feelings out - you can’t be angry.
"It’s about showing what it is to be a leader through your actions. I think I’m the first person from my estate to make a change.”
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It’s also about seeing that you can do better, that there’s an option to be better. If I didn’t see that option, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.
Colin Adams
Colin is a director of local community centre, Brickworks, and Chair of the Octopus Network - who are a charity partner of No More Red. Colin is a well-respected community leader who previously worked with the department of education.
“We work with disenfranchised young people who just want someone to believe in them, to value them and to give them that opportunity. No More Red has been inspirational for some of our young people.
"Whenever people are presented with their No More Red shirts at Emirates Stadium, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience - walking on the pitch at Arsenal in front of all of those people.
"It changes young people - they need to believed in. They need people to have faith in them.”
Sanchez
Sanchez is a local young person, who works as an Arsenal in the Community sessional coach. He is also Ball Squad Manager at Emirates Stadium. Sanchez has been an AITC participant for six years and progressed from being a young person on our estates and alternative education provision programme into the position he now holds.
“Opportunities are a massive motivation. If you’re getting rewarded, you’re always going to want to do good. Who doesn’t like going away and having fun in a different space and environment?
“I was able to coach with Arsenal in the Community when I was at college. I’ve gone on to be a volunteer, an assistant coach to then being part of the ball squad. From there I went into coaching and then became a ball squad manager. I like the route I’ve taken. I’ve been all over the place with Arsenal.
“Football attracted me to those initiatives, as did being around environments other people liked to be around. The community played a part but football is the main reason I am where I am now. Football was my motivation to get where I wanted to go.”
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Opportunities are a massive motivation. If you’re getting rewarded, you’re always going to want to do good.
Councillor Kaya Comer-Schwartz
Kaya is leader of Islington Council and a key partner of Arsenal in the Community. She has supported a wide range of AITC initiatives over the past five years and is key in helping us embed our programmes locally.
“What I love about the No More Red campaign is it sees the Arsenal brand and, through that brand, it sees young people.
"It’s not just about football. It’s about celebrating the limitless potential of our young people and some of the individuals we’ve given profiles to through the No More Red campaign who are in to music, or theatre, or looking after people, or engineering.
"It’s amazing because it uses the power of football and the brand to say ‘you can be anything you want to be and we’re fully behind you in that’.”
Gloria
Gloria is a prominent and well-respected member of our Girls Kicks programme, acting as a role model and leader for other participants. She was recently awarded a white shirt for being part of a national youth forum with the Premier League - with a focus on developing sustainability based social action projects in local communities.
“I feel like Arsenal has definitely given me a sense of belonging. Every time I go to a session, I really enjoy it and I feel happy.
"When I’m on the pitch playing with my friends, I feel comfortable. It feels like home.
"Back in September, I broke my finger and wasn’t allowed to play until January. But even then, I’d still come to the sessions and enjoy watching my friends play and have fun.
"When you have opportunities to take part in programmes at the weekend, you’re able to really immerse yourself in it and spend all day enjoying it. It’s really interesting - I know a lot of people who go sessions and what’s interesting is they give you a real insight into the different strands of working in football.
"We’ve met so many people - like the designers of the first Italy adidas shirt - and that’s cool because it’s also within football and shows what happens away from the pitch. Those opportunities are really important - and really fun as well.”
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When you have opportunities to take part in programmes at the weekend, you’re able to really immerse yourself in it and spend all day enjoying it.
Tanisha Appleton
Tanisha is a key member of Love and Loss - a support group for families who have lost loved ones to youth violence. The group consists of families who meet monthly at the Arsenal Hub and gain strength through supporting one another.
“A sense of belonging is about having somewhere you feel seen and heard. It’s a safe space, where you can open up, where you can be vulnerable and where people understand you.
"I think that’s what we’ve created with the group. I know a lot of people who come to the group say they feel seen, they feel heard and they feel understood by coming to the group.
"It’s the place where they’re not judged. We all get each other and we’ve created a community and a kind of family.”
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