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Show Racism the Red Card in Wales

SRTRC Launch Vale of Glamorgan Hotel

10 October 2005

The SRTRC Wales Steering Group arranged a launch of the Welsh Campaign to take place at the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel on 10th October 2005.

Guests from partner organisations UNISON, NUT, FAW, FAW Trust, Sports Council for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government, were invited to attend, as were two local schools.

Also present were footballers Neil Cox and Tariq Khalil of Cardiff City and Roberto Martinez, Izzy Iriekpen, Leon Britton and Garry Monk of Swansea City. We were also very fortunate that the Wales Football Team were staying at the hotel prior to their World Cup Qualifying game against Azerbaijan so John Toshack, Wales Manager, and Wales Internationals Ryan Giggs of Manchester United and Jason Brown of Gillingham, also came along.

The guest speaker at the launch was John Griffiths, Welsh Assembly Member for Newport East who has given his wholehearted support to the campaign on behalf of the Assembly Government.

The new Welsh version of the SRTRC DVD was played to the audience, following which questions to the footballers were invited from the schoolchildren present.

A number of children asked the players what their experience of racism had been as children, adults and footballers.

Ryan Giggs, in particular, gave an insight into the difficulties he had experienced. This surprised a number of people present as Ryan, whilst being of mixed race, is not obviously black. Other players were also very open and honest about their experiences and how they dealt with them.

Following the Q&A session, children were invited to come forward to get autographs.

The event and, in particular, the impact of the DVD received very favourable feedback with the partner organisations even more committed to ensure that SRTRC in Wales becomes as successful as it is in parts of England and Scotland.

Report by Dawn Hayes