Scunthorpe players support Kick It Out at St. Lawrence Academy ahead of Saturday’s dedicated game

Friday 26 Feb 2016
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Four players from Scunthorpe United Football Club were in attendance for a Q&A session with pupils from St. Lawrence Academy on Thursday (25 February), as part of a number of education workshops that Kick It Out delivered to students during the day.

Gary McSheffrey, Paddy Madden, Jordan Clarke and Hakeeb Adelakun joined Rishi Jain, Kick It Out’s Football League Clubs Development Officer, to talk to the students about the importance of fighting discrimination in football and society as a whole.

Rishi hailed the success of Kick It Out’s visit: “Today’s been fantastic. We’ve worked with Year 10 children, we’ve worked with Year 8 children – all with different experiences and understandings of discrimination. It’s been great to talk about faith, football and the impact that Kick It Out has on the game and wider society.”

The day began with Rishi delivering an education workshop to a large Year 10 group in the school’s assembly hall. The session focused on Kick It Out’s key messages of equality and inclusion, before an open discussion was held with the students regarding the relationship between faith and football.

Rishi was impressed with the St. Lawrence pupils’ awareness about the importance of celebrating religious diversity in football: “I was surprised at the extent of their understanding of faith and football and how the two link together. It’s a diverse school, with lots of people from different backgrounds, different religions and different nationalities, so to have that understanding at such a young age is so important.”

The next session saw Rishi lead a more interactive workshop with a smaller class of Year 8 pupils, who were tasked with designing a poster that best represented Kick It Out’s messages.

A busy day ended with another presentation delivered to two Year 8 classes, with equality and religious diversity once again the key topics of discussion. It was there that the Scunthorpe players joined Rishi to support his work, with the pupils clearly delighted with the opportunity to quiz their heroes.

Veteran winger Gary McSheffrey thoroughly enjoyed the visit and recognised the importance of using his position to have a positive impact on the next generation.

“It’s always nice to interact with schoolchildren and hear their thoughts about key issues,” he said. “You can always lose track of your position as a footballer but then you come in for days like this and it reminds you that you’re a role model in the eyes of the public. You have to set an example because children look up to you and they copy their heroes.”

For first-team regular Jordan Clarke, fighting discrimination is a cause that he has a strong personal interest in: “I’ve attended a lot of school events before and it’s something that I do like to do because discrimination has affected me in the past – I’m really passionate about these issues.”

With Scunthorpe set to host Oldham Athletic at Glanford Park on Saturday in a dedicated fixture in support of Kick It Out, Jordan emphasised the importance of the team showing a united front with The Iron faithful against discrimination: “I think the game will have a great impact and I’m sure the Scunthorpe fans will get behind Kick It Out’s message. If we can be good role models for them then hopefully they can take that into their everyday lives.”

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"We have a responsibility as players to give something back and I’m really thankful to be part of this organisation because we can do a lot of good."
Jack Butland, 'Next 20' Ambassador
“A big part of my involvement with Kick It Out stems from my strong admiration for the organisation’s commitment to fairness and equality.”
Clive Tyldesley, football commentator
“It was Kick It Out that convinced the people in football that change was possible.”
Greg Dyke, former FA chairman
“I wanted to thank the campaigners at Kick It Out for their work. I know first-hand how Kick It Out can help.”
Yaya Toure, Manchester City midfielder
“It is important for me in my role as a Kick It Out ‘Next 20’ ambassador to teach young people how to handle discrimination and treat people with respect.”
Romelu Lukaku, 'Next 20' Ambassador
“It is a massive honour for me to be an ambassador for such a great organisation. I think they do great work on and off the field.”
Toni Duggan, 'Next 20' Ambassador
"It really helped me to see that other professional sports people were acknowledging their sexuality. I read about John Amaechi, Gareth Thomas and Tom Daley. They weren't footballers but the fact that they went public gave me the feeling that I was not alone."
Thomas Hitzlsperger, former Aston Villa midfielder
"There was no conflict between religion and the fact that I wanted to play football. I was brought up correctly and in the right way and my parents are very proud of the fact that I am a professional footballer."
Sadio Mané, Liverpool winger
“I think it’s important to share success stories and realise that there are women operating in the game. If it’s something you want to do, you can do it.”
Ffion Eade, Hampshire FA referee
"I've had loads of negative comments from men, especially growing up. It's just boring and old. Times have changed, and they continue to change. Women play football, and they're good at it, and have been for a number of years.”
Kelly Smith, England Women's record goalscorer
"Despite the progress, stereotypes still exist in football and until that is broken down it will be extremely difficult for a woman to manage a top level men's team."
Rachel Yankey, former Arsenal Ladies forward
"There’s no hiding that there is sexism in sport. We have a lack of women right across all levels of management, playing and coaching. It shows the closed nature of sport in general and this includes the media. It’s an indictment of sport as a whole."
Rimla Akhtar, Kick It Out trustee and Chair of the Muslim Women’s Sports Foundation
“I’m proud to be a supporter of Kick It Out and particularly the work they are doing to combat antisemitism within football.”
Joe Jacobson, Wycombe Wanderers midfielder
"With Kick It Out leading the way football is standing up and fighting against those who preach hatred and intolerance and we at Chelsea are proud to support their work."
Bruce Buck, Chelsea Football Club Chairman

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