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 the long-standing work undertaken by ourselves 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 Arsenal stores on January 29 with 100% of the retail price (£30) being 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; Steel Warriors; 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
The No More Red community t-shirt was designed by Nellie-Rose, who took part in one of the 2023 No More Red Social Action Projects.
Her design was chosen based on its celebration of Arsenal as a place of diversity and togetherness, and for representing the club’s role as a home for the local community – a message reinforced by No More Red’s commitment to providing safe places for young people to play football.
“Community is everything and is what No More Red is all about, so it was important this was brought to life in my design,” she said. “I feel proud that my creation was chosen to represent the campaign and provide the community with another way to support and feel connected to 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.”
More information on No More Red can be found at arsenal.com/NoMoreRed and adidas.co.uk/footballcollective
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
