Friday night football is heading to the Stadium of Light this weekend – and the club’s highly-anticipated fixture against Doncaster Rovers will also see Kick It Out take centre stage.
The Sky Bet League One match-up will be SAFC’s designated Kick It Out fixture for the 2019-20 season, as the club continues its long-standing support for football’s equality and inclusion organisation.
On Friday evening, the Lads will sport special Kick It Out t-shirts during the pre-match warm-ups, with staff throughout the Stadium of Light wearing branded badges.
Club captain Grant Leadbitter will also wear a Kick It Out armband throughout the 90 minutes.
Kick It Out giveaways will be taking place in the Beacon of Light’s matchday fan zone to help raise awareness, while several local community projects – all of which strive to tackle similar issues – have also been gifted tickets for the fixture.
Over the past 25 years, Kick It Out has worked throughout the football and educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, celebrate diversity and inclusion, and campaign for positive change.
However, despite working alongside clubs to take big strides forward, reporting statistics show that incidents of discrimination continue to increase – and Kick It Out cannot tackle the issue alone.
Everyone attending or taking part in a football match has the right to feel safe, valued and included, and SAFC are encouraging supporters to continue to play their part in this.
If you witness racist behaviour at a match or around a stadium, please report it to the police or a steward.
You can also report racism by using the Kick It Out reporting app or website by clicking here.
The app, which is available to download for FREE on iPhone or Android, allows users the ability to attach video, photo and audio evidence to complaints to aid investigations into discriminatory abuse and behaviour.
Users can also report incidents of football-related discrimination to Kick It Out on social media. Reporting via the app is confidential, and sits alongside the organisation’s well-established methods of reporting, including email and Freephone.
Supporters can contact Kick It Out on 0800 169 9414 or by emailing info@kickitout.org.
