November 7, 2003, 2003
By Southafrica.info reporter
ENGLISH Premier League football club Charlton Athletic is home to two of South African football's most loved and most successful exports, Mark Fish and Shaun Bartlett.
On Saturday 8 November, when Charlton tackles Fulham at The Valley, the club will be celebrating its South African connection - which extends all the way to Alexandra township in Johannesburg - with a day it has called South Africa Day.
Matt Wright, reporting on the Charlton Athletic website, says the Alexandra connection is all down to the club's "Red, White and Black" campaign that is into its second decade and targets racism.
Over the past four months Charlton has teamed up with British Airways, the South African Police Service, the Metropolitan Police and Bristol's John Cabot School to bring a coach and schools education programme to Alexandra.
The programme includes teaching 18 local coaches the English Football Association's Level One coaching course - the first time the course has ever been run outside of Britain. Once those coaches have qualified, they will be able to start and run community-based football clubs and leagues.
Over 1 000 children at eight schools are also set to benefit from Charlton's efforts. Not only will they receive coaching, they will also be attending workshops on healthy living and good citizenship. Every student will be given a Charlton goodie bag that will include a special "Addicks in Africa" poster. Alexandra has also been receiving football kits, balls and other equipment.
Saturday's match will be a special occasion. Charlton has donated more than 1 000 tickets to local community groups for the Red, White and Black Day celebrations, and 200 South Africans will join the community groups for the Fulham match.
On a day that will celebrate the cultural diversity of the Rainbow Nation, a 250-strong choir, made up of pupils from local schools, will sing specially written songs to promote anti-racism, while the Vox Simba Choir will perform four songs before kick off, including the South African national anthem.
Charlton's community liaison officer, Ben Tegg, explained why the London club has chosen to hold a South Africa Day: "Being the 11th year of the Red, White and Black campaign, we were looking for a new slant. Due to the club's historical links with South Africa and our groundbreaking work in Alexandra, we will once again be using a Premier League match to highlight the club's community and anti-racism work."
Former Bafana Bafana player Mark Fish is wholeheartedly behind the club's work. "Since I came to Charlton, I have been amazed at the extent of the club's work in its community, and I am proud to support that work, both locally and back in my homeland.
"The South Africa Day shows that the club is again ahead of the game when it comes to tackling issues that others either ignore or sweep under the carpet, and shows how different people can come together", Fish said.
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