News

Lauren Estwick

New Business & Marketing Director at House 337

This month means turning inward for me to support the great people I know in the industry and my team to ensure the talent that’s here remains here and knows it’s a space for them. For me it’s always more than a month, but it’s a moment to acknowledge and reflect on the work done and the work still needed to get the industry to a truly equitable place.

⁠In honesty, I haven’t seen much BHM content this year that I’ve loved but I do love Arsenal’s Black Arsenal Untold series. Worth a watch.

Toyin Higgs

Non-Executive Director with Staffordshire FA
EDI Community of Practice Ambassador with the FA

I had the pleasure of going to the Football Black List celebration in Leicester this year and took my son with me. On a personal level I was really stoked by that. For me Black History Month is about those untold histories, and he was able to see the potential, from being in a room with all those other people who’ve done really inspiring things. It also means we can shine a light on the things that we still need to keep working on.

I’ve come across some stuff around Tony Collins, a guy who was a scout for Man United for years, after being the first black manager to take a team to an English cup final. Again, it’s untold history. If Black History Month means that people start putting things on that they wouldn’t normally do, then you can’t argue with how important it is – and you’re exposed to things you wouldn’t normally know about.

Edleen John

Senior Independent Director and Safeguarding and EDI Board Champion, Amateur Football Association
Former director of the FA

Black History Month is a moment that enables us to reflect and celebrate the various Black women in football past and present. These heroes have battled through a system that has historically been exclusionary, fuelled by stereotypes and has only made space for Black women who have shared lived experiences of being forced to code-switch or change to fit in. We’ve seen some progress, but there is a lot to do to ensure that women, and particularly Black women can truly be authentic and embraced within football.

This month encourages us to embrace, understand, and recognise intersectionality moving forward. It highlights the societal need to reclaim and change the negative narratives that are put out there about Black women, to make sure that across the football industry Black women are recognised, celebrated and supported in their uniqueness and that the cultural and social richness that they add to the industry is welcomed, valued and seen.