as Fulham & Charlton Athletic Football Clubs join forces in a fight against racism

There was no respite in the entertainment at The Valley on Monday as Charlton Athletic and Fulham exited the pitch at half-time, their place will be taken by 100 local youngsters.

The members of the Greenwich Dance Agency will perform a specially commissioned routine entitled ‘Red, White and Black’ as the Addicks celebrate the 13th anniversary of their annual anti-racism celebrations.

Earlier that evening hundreds of youngsters from across the capital travelled to Charlton’s Premiership match against Fulham by boat. The boat started its journey at Putney pier, where it picked up young people from Fulham(see right), and made its way to Waterloo pier, where a further 150 youngsters who had travelled up from Charlton and other areas surrounding the club, joined the voyage to The Valley.

While on board the vessel pupils had the opportunity to take part in a question-and-answer session with a panel that also included Premier League chairman Dave Richards, ex-Charlton and Celtic defender Paul Elliott and Kick It Out’s Piara Powar.

Ben Tegg, Charlton’s community liaison officer, said: “The club’s commitment to anti-racism work is as strong as ever.

“The project has been running for 13 years now and the Charlton Athletic Racial Equality (CARE) partnership is working hard in schools across Greenwich to ensure we continue to help
make a difference in this field.”

As part of the events, 200 young people representing clubs including Fulham, Brentford, Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton were treated to a trip down the River Thames.The idea to bring children from across London, representing the club’s partners Greenwich Council, Bexley Council and Kent County Council, was designed to display unity to support the national Kick It Out campaign.

The boat docked at the Thames Barrier pier, where the youngsters joined hundreds of other
schoolchildren from across South-East London and Kent who have been invited to the match
free of charge.

October 19, 2005