Birmingham Schools Kick Racism Out Of Football

Birmingham Schools Kick Racism Out Of Football is for everyone that hates racism but loves football. Whether you're a kid of 6 or 96, if you think that it's the colour of the shirt that counts NOT the player's skin then read on.

BSKROOF formed in 2003 after staff at Welsh House Farm Community School in Birmingham, UK were shocked that the nazi BNP were standing in the elections. They exist to poison people against each other. We are part of the antidote to their vile racism.

Get involved! Contact us at bskroof@hotmail.co.uk or sign our Guestbook.

You can also join our Facebook group and check out our MySpace page.

Use the links, play the games, drop a message into our Guestbook (we like to know what you think!), take part in our festivals and be proud that we live in a world of so many colours and accents.

Who are ya? Who are ya? Who are ya? - 

BSKROOF Founder Facts!

Mike                   Doug                   Nadine

Our names are Mike Clarke, Doug Morgan and Nadine Gater. Together we are the founders of Birmingham Schools Kick Racism Out Of Football. We have been organising BSKROOF since 2003. Over the years we have had support from almost every football team in the Premiership, our local TV, radio and newspaper, trade unions as well as the University of Central England (now BCU) and the official PFA anti-racist charity Kick It Out. We've gone further a field and got support from Spanish football teams Real Madrid and Barcelona and from Italian giants Juventus.

Our events get bigger and bigger each year attracting almost 200 children and parents and over 30 schools. The annual event has turned so big we've decided to make it a family day with football coaching from Brazilian footy to penalty shoot out with ex professional footballers. We also run school competitions as well - the most recent being the One World, One Community poetry comp!

Founder Facts 1 - Mike Clarke (31 years old)

Married with 2 girls, I am a football coach and parent governor at my children's school. I have been coaching football for 7 years now and in that time, as well as BSKROOF, I have organised 2 events helping the poor children in Beslan who were brutally killed at school. I'm sure we all remember that awful event! 20 schools took part with every child bringing a toy or school stuff to donate to the school in Beslan. We also raised over £500. I also arranged a tournament for the Tsunami appeal raising money by players playing football in their pyjamas (they were freezing - poor things!). My motto is we all live in one world so why can't we leave peacefully together?

Founder Facts 2 - Doug Morgan (31 years old)

I've been active against racism for over a decade, first with the Anti-Nazi League and then recently through the new organisation UNITE Against Fascism. Although politically aware before, the murder of Stephen Lawrence was a real eye opener for me. I find it incredible that people are picked on, bullied, or worse just because they happen to have a different skin colour. I wonder if the bigots out there pick on people with different eye or hair colour as well! I am a teacher in Birmingham and came to the profession via an odd route of political activism, plastering, being a postal worker and a teaching assistant. Whilst working as a TA at Welsh House Farm I helped form Birmingham Schools Kick Racism Out Of Football with Michael Clarke and Nadine Gater as a response to the BNP standing in local elections. I am an active socialist and trade unionist with the National Union of Teachers and think that it is the duty of all of us to stand up for people that are treated unfairly due to colour, class, religion or any other excuse that is used to isolate and intimidate people. 

Founder Facts 3 - Nadine Gater (27 years old)

Hi! Well I'm 27 years old and have a new set of twins and one little girl aged 2, who I now stay at home with. I have just recently left my post as a teaching assistant at Welsh House Farm School in order to spend this precious time with my kids. I managed to bug both Doug and Mike to letting me help them coach the football team at the after school club and got stuck in. The tournament has always been a success and is rapidly growing year after year. It's so nice to watch this grow after all of our hard work. Its a really important cause to me as I have had personal experience of racial bullying and found it very distressing during my teenage years at school, when I felt I had no one to turn to as it was not picked up in the appropriate way. My family and I had to battle with my school then to get something done about it and still I was left to defend myself on a daily basis. So getting involved in BSKROOF was a great opportunity that came my way, to get the cause recognised and do my bit to try and stop others being treated inappropriately.

About the music: Get Up, Stand Up! by Bob Marley. For many, this song is the anthem calling people to stand against injustice and oppression.