Football fans will notice a huge change in this year’s festive fixtures with hundreds of clubs, including Walsall, throughout the UK ditching their home kits to support Shelter’s #NoHomeKit - highlighting the lack of a home for many this Christmas.
The Saddlers will wear their white away strip in support of the campaign at our home match against Stockport County on Thursday 29th December.
Almost 1000 clubs from the EFL, non-League, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) are lined up to support the campaign - smashing last year’s total of 261.
In the space of 90 minutes, 25 households become homeless in England. That means between the first and last whistle of any football match, 25 households will no longer have a safe or secure place to call home. Many more are at risk of becoming homeless with the cost of living crisis stretching family budgets to breaking point this winter.
Shelter’s #NoHomeKit is football’s way of combating this growing emergency, with the charity encouraging teams and fans to proudly show off their away and third kits and donate to the cause.
The SWPL have already got the ball rolling with a full round of fixtures on December 4, while there will not be a home kit in sight across the four divisions in the SPFL during games over December 23-24 - including Celtic, Motherwell and Hibernian all wearing away or third kits at their own grounds.
Scotland’s terrific support is followed by a host of EFL clubs - including Cardiff City, Coventry City and Derby County - Welsh clubs, and clubs throughout the non-League pyramid proudly wearing their away or third kits in matches between Boxing Day and the new year.
Brighton and Hove Albion are also officially supporting the campaign off the pitch, while brands across the game, including Classic Football Shirts and Mitre, are working alongside Shelter.
Osama Bhutta, Director of Campaigns at Shelter, said: “Last year it was fantastic to see fans and teams across the country come together to fight the housing emergency. Our frontline services are braced for an incredibly tough winter as the cost of living crisis bites, so it’s brilliant that so many teams, fans and celebrities are stepping up and supporting #NoHomeKit this Christmas.”
Whether you’re watching at the ground or from your sofa, you can join the movement fighting to defend the right to a safe, secure and affordable home for everyone.
Get involved by swapping your home colours for an away or third kit and text HOME to 70455 to donate £5 * or visit https://nohomekit.shelter.org.uk/ to donate.