Jacob Brown and Mads Andersen visited Ferrars Junior School in Luton last week to take part in an anti-discrimination workshop put on by the Luton Town Community Trust as part of the Together Against Racism campaign.
Jacob and Mads answered questions from a group of house captains, ranging from their favourite player growing up (Ronaldinho for Mads and Thierry Henry for Browny) to who has been the biggest influence on their lives and career.
Scotland international Jacob was also asked if he had a special anti-discrimination message to share with the pupils.
“Growing up, some people might have said things about the colour of my skin, trying to put me off my game or whatever. But no matter what the colour of your skin, we’re all the same on the inside. Treat everyone with respect and care for each other no matter what they look like.”
At Luton Town, like our forward says, we believe that football is a game for everyone, everywhere, and we are proud of the welcoming atmosphere that you create at Kenilworth Road every matchday. However, every season, there are hundreds of reports of discrimination across the game, and likely more that go unrecorded.
Whether you’re a player, manager, watching in the stands or at home – your voice matters. Our voices are a powerful tool for change - when we speak up, come together and use our voices we can drive change.
On speaking to the kids at the school, 26-year-old Brown said: “When you see hundreds of kids there staring at you, it’s quite daunting. But it’s a good experience and it’s one I enjoy doing, coming in and you see the faces of the kids when you come in, they are so excited. To be able to raise awareness and spread an important message about anti-discrimination is good.
“It is super important (for the younger generation to get that message), obviously with it being the next generation growing up.
“I think to have them educated from such a young age is a really good thing and it’s important, because you are putting positive messages into them from a young age, and hopefully can help them as they get older to spread that message as well.”
The former Barnsley and Stoke forward believes it is an important part of a footballer’s job to go into schools and act as a role model on topics such as anti-racism.
“It’s one of my favourite things about being a footballer, being able to come to places like this and actually make an impact,” he said. “I think as a footballer it’s your duty to do that, because you are in such a privileged position that you can go in and have a positive impact on young kids’ lives, which is a great feeling and not everyone can do that.
“Growing up, some people might have said things about the colour of my skin, trying to put me off my game or whatever. But no matter what the colour of your skin, or anything that makes you different on the outside, we’re all the same on the inside. Treat everyone with respect, be polite, be kind and be caring for anyone, no matter what they look like.”
Another man who used his voice to champion equality and inclusion in football and beyond, was the founder of anti-discrimination charity, Kick It Out, Lord Ouseley, who sadly passed away earlier this month. He dedicated his life to fighting racism and promoting diversity and significant strides have been made in tackling discrimination, thanks to his work.
The EFL stands side by side with Clubs, players, managers and supporters and take a zero-tolerance approach to tackling racism in our game. If you witness racist or discriminatory abuse, you can report it directly through Kick It Out, the Club’s reporting mechanisms – by emailing [email protected] – or by alerting a steward.
Together with the other footballing bodies, we will continue to make football a safer, more welcoming and enjoyable space for everyone. Luton Town and all of football stands Together Against Racism and all forms of discrimination.
