Stormzy has linked with adidas to launch groundbreaking football partnership #Merky FC.
The new project continues Stormzy’s societal endeavours, bringing together 10 leading brands to open up opportunities for people of Black heritage within football.
The project includes the involvement of Manchester United and Fulham FC, to Sky Sports and LADbible, helping to forge a brand new careers programme.
#Merky FC launches in full this coming January, and it comes as the disparity between on-field and off-field opportunities becomes ever more stark. While Black athletes are dominating football globally, only 6.7% of senior roles in British football are taken by someone who identifies as Black or mixed Black heritage.
Stormzy says…
Just 6.7% of senior roles in football are taken by someone who identifies as Black or mixed Black heritage. We barely see any black Team Managers, Coaches, Sports Presenters, Assistants, Ops Managers, Sales Managers, Accountants, Marketing Managers or Physiotherapists – the list goes on, nor are many of us even aware of the vast roles available within the football industry. Through the #Merky FC initiative we hope to inspire real change within this field as part of my wider commitment to support racial equality in the UK.
With the support of adidas and the additional 10 partners, we will be in a position to aid the people who may have experienced disadvantages during their football career pathway. We strongly encourage other companies to join us in our mission.
For their part, Adidas add:
“We are passionate about providing inclusive opportunities to young talent in the UK. We are proud to be working in partnership with Stormzy to introduce #Merky FC, an initiative that directly tackles some of the biggest barriers facing UK youth in football today, by creating a legacy of career opportunities off the pitch alongside the other partners. Along with the support of our network of adidas partners, we are committed to fighting for equal representation in football, and this launch is only the beginning for #Merky FC. Watch this space.”
To register your interest in #Merky FC visit the newly launched website.
