The player signed Trafford's new Anti-bullying Charter on behalf of the Reds during a conference at Old Trafford designed to help tackle discrimination and intimidation in sport and the community.
Pupils from the borough's schools then quizzed a panel of speakers including local athlete Darren Campbell about how to tackle racism and bullying.
Students from Wellacre Technology and Vocational College in Urmston also performed an anti-racism play and youngsters from Stretford Community High School did a presentation on cyber-bullying.
The conference yesterday was organised by the Manchester United Foundation and Trafford's Children and Young People's service in a bid to overcome racial inequality and prejudice by breaking down barriers.
Manchester United is committed to fighting racism and inequality in football as part of the `Kick it Out' programme.
Guest speakers at the conference included Lord Herman Ouseley, the chairman of `Kick it Out' and a Manchester United Foundation trustee, and Simon Hyacinth from the Sheffield-based charity Football Unites, Racism Divides.
Trafford's Anti-Bullying Charter is designed to show that preventing bullying is the responsibility of all members of the local community.
Understanding, equality and acceptance
John Shiels, the Manchester United Foundation's chief executive, said: "At Manchester United, we work to promote understanding, equality and acceptance.
"The 1st team is a perfect example of how people from all over the world can come together and work towards a shared goal.
"We have a responsibility to promote equality and today is about making a commitment to this, working together to do the best we can for the club and the wider community, irrespective of race, gender, colour, religion or background."
John Holden, executive councillor for children and young people's services on Trafford Council, said: "The council is committed to doing everything possible to tackle racism, bullying, inequality and injustice in order to make the lives of local people better and rewarding.
"We are delighted to be working closely with the Manchester United Foundation so we can achieve our shared goal of promoting equality and encouraging understanding among all our local communities.
"Events such as these are important, not just because they involve eminent speakers, but, more importantly, that local young people are involved in conveying our important messages. After all, it is these young people who are our future."
What do you think? Have your say. Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Racism is ignorant and pathetic..lets boot it out of football, and our communities.
And booing of National anthems like the despicable event at the Hatton fight!
I was there at Old Trafford on the day, I am In year 7, and am from Altrincham girls grammar school and it was a tremendous event. I espesially liked Lord Herman Ouseley's Speech it was very good.
BobbyC football England fans have been booing anthems for yrs. Its ridiculous carry on. I usually shout for England, but it makes it difficult to want to see the England team win when a large section of the crowd are moronically booing a foreign anthem in some mistaken attempt at patriotism
Bobbyc,booing a national anthem is nothing to do with racism it may be disrespectful that is all. This word "racism" is used for all the wrong reasons in the UK these days and here is just one example.
The kick-it-out campaign should be given the boot and replaced with a campaign that says "don't use any offensive gestures at a game".
It's surprising that the media fall for this everytime and do not see the hidden irony.
Everyone involved in promoting anti-racism is black.
Herman Ouseley only promotes black issues, do a search and he comes up on blackinbritain.co.uk, a website that only recognises blacks and refuses to acknowledge any other races.
The kick-it-out campaign does nothing to promote equality among all races, just highlights that black players are with us and rightly so, but what about the asian elements? Or the australian, new zealand, french, germanic, sami, scandanavian, american, latin etc races?
I would like to see a "nice gesture" campaign instead.
How many times have you seen footballers celebrate and fans go livid? Years ago (well at least in the black and white film clips), you'd see fans sitting next to each other, having a "jolly good time". Try sitting fans next to each other now and see how nice they are to each other.
The tv images of today show hatred in the faces of the fans, that shouldn't be what football is about, it should be about watching 22 men kicking the ball about for 90 mins (or 23 when we play arsenal, as the ref is usually against us).
So give kick-it-out the boot and bring in nice-gestures.
And kick-it-out people, take a long hard racist look at yourselves, and the communites / races you are omitting.
As well as kicking our rasism how about a campaign to kick out all offensive chants at football matches, Louis Saha is a united player but United fans are without a doubt one of the worst set of fans for their abusive and obscene chanting, and yes I am a football fan, and I support United and have done so for over 50 years.
United were playing in an away match on TV and Ryan Giggs went to take a corner and as he went up to take it there was a woman in her mid fifties and all she could think of doing was to give Gigis the finger just goes to show the inteligence of most supports no matter what team they support.
Also when United play if any of the opposition had the misfortune to play for liverpool the abuse they get is totally unecceptible, the language horendous followed by the chanting.
I once went onto the United web site and the item was ask Fergy a question. I put this to the item about the constant abscene chanting of the United fans but got no answer, and then he is reported to be complaining about the abuse he got from behing the dugout.
There has only been one manager who stood out against obscene and abusive chaniting and that was Brian Clough in Forest's heyday, where he told them to stop it or he would leave and guess what they stopped, so it is not just about rasism for me but to have young childred stood next to their father who are shouting this abuse and obsenities, this is what needs to be stopped.
But I will not hold me breath as as usual nothing will be done by the people who can stop it and they run the clubs.
Also why does the TV always have to go for a close up when players are arguing so the it can clearly be seen what they are saying, and don't give me the rubbist it is a mans game I ussed to play to a reasonable standard and when things did not go my way in the game I did get annoyed but not to the extent of giving the refferee's the abuse they get in the proffessional game,
I totally support Kick It Out's campaign,though there is also a need for a kick out bullying campaign.Not the cheeky chants aimed at players,thats going too far,and adds to a good atmosphere.I'm thinking of the really nasty stuff,anti-semitic,homophobic,or any other group Muslim,Christian (like sectarian chants) etc.As for the national anthems,there is no reason to boo any countries anthem,and yes some (not all) England followers have booed those of other countries,and thats not too bright.Im not too partial to the US government,but its wider than that..its an anthem of all American people.Unlike God save the queen which is annoying,speaking as someone who backs England,but can't abide the monarchy.
Maintaining the Kick Racism Out campaign is a good idea as it maintains the high profile of the struggle to prevent the most insidious form of barracking take hold in the game as it has in the past. Racism is offensive not just to the players but by inference to their family and any fans that share the same colour. And it encourages youths to do the same in the street. I don't recall this happening to germanic or scandivanian people (you gotta laugh when people make those comments). It is a manifestation of the lowest form of ignorance and should be stamped out.
The booing of the national anthem for sure is ignorant as well. I wouldn't call it racist though. At least now the yanks know all about the difference between the berties and United;-)
Who are The Berties?and whats the difference between utd and them?This interested Blue Ape is genuinely fascinated Duncan.