-Credit:David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Manchester United have repeated Liverpool’s gesture to refuse to play in red this afternoon in the FA Cup third round tie at Arsenal for a good cause.
The FA Cup third round weekend is always designated as the Gunners’ ‘No More Red’ fixture. Adidas and Arsenal launched the initiative in 2022 as they worked to highlight the issues of knife crime in London, particularly among the youth community.
In an effort to draw awareness to the issues of knife crime, Arsenal do not wear red and instead wear a fully white strip. Last season, Liverpool visited Arsenal and chose not to wear their home shirt despite the home side’s decision to wear white to show their solidarity with the cause.
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United have chosen to repeat that gesture this afternoon as they wear their blue away strip instead. Speaking about the initiative, the head of Arsenal in the Community Freddie Hudson said: “Knife crime and serious youth violence is incredibly complex.
“We don’t have the solution to fix the problem, but we know our work with Adidas is helping keep young people safe and create opportunities for more positive futures. It’s important we continue to invest in safe spaces where we engage young people facing multiple challenges as they navigate their way through their lives.
“This is where trust is built, and positive relationships develop with our staff. Being part of something positive like No More Red creates an important sense of belonging.
“The safe spaces and trusted relationships lead to connections and opportunities like volunteering, education and employment. Over time, we see young leaders emerge from our projects to inspire and influence other young people to make good life choices.”