'No More Red' - Arsenal stars to wear white for knife crime campaign

While politicians and constabulary hunt for solutions, shot is trying to tackle the scourge of weapon transgression and younker violence.

Arsenal's players volition usage their level for activism successful matches time by wearing shirts drained of the accepted red.

They're hoping the connection reaches and resonates with youngsters that nary much humor should beryllium shed and carrying a weapon is ne'er the close choice.

The trauma felt successful southeast London this week provided a tragically timely reminder wherefore the "No More Red" campaign is needed. Kelyan Bokassa, 14, was stabbed to decease connected a autobus successful Woolwich.

The Arsenal instrumentality was the archetypal teen killed successful London this twelvemonth aft 10 fatalities successful 2023 - 9 of whom were fatally stabbed.

It was the execution of 16-year-old Gunners' instrumentality Ben Kinsella successful 2008 that led to the instauration of an anti-knife crime foundation successful his memory, which present partners with the nine and garment sponsor Adidas.

All-white shirts volition beryllium worn successful the biggest men's FA Cup lucifer of the 3rd circular erstwhile Arsenal big Manchester United.

For 18-year-old rising endowment Myles Lewis-Skelly, it is astir helping chap youths and "making definite that they're safe".

"It's conscionable truthful important that we commencement to advocate," helium told Sky News.

"Arsenal unrecorded by their principles to assistance radical and assistance radical grow, assistance radical enactment together. And conscionable this campaign, we truly assistance radical out."

Ahead of the women's FA Cup lucifer against Bristol City, Alessia Russo visited a transportation adjacent Arsenal's stadium that the club's backing to supply harmless places to play football.

The England prima wants communities to champion relation models alternatively than being devastated by the weapon tragedies that occupation her.

"It is scary and it's a shame that things are inactive happening," Russo told Sky News.

"I deliberation athletics has the powerfulness to alteration truthful overmuch and we don't adjacent spot the fractional of it. And this is 1 thing. It's decidedly a large issue, an important contented that we request to beryllium tackling.

"To person places similar this wherever it is harmless and it is accessible, and it's wherever radical tin consciousness blessed and bask football."

The anticipation is youngsters spot determination are paths different than unit - adjacent without making it arsenic a nonrecreational footballer.

Arsenal and their run partners are trying to connection solutions alternatively than suggesting a alteration of shirts for 1 lucifer is the solution to the weapon transgression epidemic.

The Ben Kinsella Trust has logged a emergence successful teenage deaths since starting "No More Red" with Arsenal successful 2022.

But surrounded by pictures of Ben Kinsella, spot CEO Patrick Green told Sky News: "I cognize it's made a quality due to the fact that successful the clip we've been moving unneurotic with Arsenal and the different partners of No More Red, much young radical person accessed our services, much radical cognize astir what we do.

"We've been capable to support much young radical harmless than ever earlier acknowledgment to this campaign."

South London nine Charlton Athletic person been moving the Street Violence Ruins Lives inaugural since 2008 - yet the decease of Kelyan Bokassa was not the lone teen stabbing successful the adjacent Woolwich country successful the archetypal week of 2025.

The connection from the Ben Kinsella Trust is that "violence is not inevitable - it's preventable".

Mr Green is highlighting the value of investing successful youngsters, harnessing their talents and providing occupation opportunities.

"We cognize if you springiness radical affirmative interventions they volition thrive and bash fantastic things," helium said.

"It besides gives you the resilience and cognition to cognize astir gangs, grooming and gives you the spot to marque bully decisions."