Fans for Diversity: Silhill show grassroots football is for all

Silhill FC have been encouraging people from all walks of life to participate in grassroots football with a Fans for Diversity fixture earlier this month.

The multi-team club from Solihull in the West Midlands was founded in 1908 and now find themselves in division three of the Midland Football League.

Over the summer bank holiday weekend Silhills hosted a Fans for Diversity day at Sharmans Cross Road in Solihull to show their support for the Fans for Diversity campaign. Players and coaches were out in force with their new Fans for Diversity t-shirts, provided by the FSA and Kick It Out, and more than 200 players, volunteer coaches and supporters turned out.

Club chairman David Budden said: “As a club we’ve grown over the last few years, we’re now in the football pyramid in the first rung and we’re continually growing with nearly 400 members now.

“It’s really important for us to promote equality, diversity and inclusion across the whole club, that includes our youth section, our adults section and into our veterans as well. It’s a great opportunity to get everybody together and for everyone to be included.”

Silhill are the latest grassroots club to back Fans for Diversity and campaign manager Nilesh Chauhan hopes more will follow suit.

“We’re really pleased Silhil have publicly supported our work,” he said. “It’s important that grassroots clubs demonstrate that football is there for everyone – regardless of background.”

Fans For Diversity is a campaign programme run in partnership between the Football Supporters’ Association and Kick It Out, English football’s equality and inclusion organisation. Fans For Diversity encourages, funds and supports initiatives by fan groups to promote diversity and inclusion in football, and to challenge all forms of discrimination.

For more information on funding available from the campaign, contact Nilesh Chauhan.