Hammers backing Kick It Out

West Ham United are pleased to confirm that the Club will be backing Kick It Out's season of action at the Boleyn Ground for the Barclays Premier League visit of Liverpool on Sunday 6 April.

The Hammers will continue their commitment to promote tolerance and inclusion in 2014 with this landmark campaign, one that celebrates Kick It Out's 20th anniversary.

For 20 years, Kick It Out has contributed to making football a safer, more enjoyable and less intimidating place for those from under-represented communities wishing to participate in the game.

In addition to campaign activity in the build-up to the fixture, the Hammers will once more warm up in campaign T-shirts to raise awareness of the vital equality and inclusion work that continues unabated.

The Club is intent on tackling discrimination in whatever form it takes, promoting events and campaigns throughout the season that highlight and combat prejudice towards disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion throughout the year.

Fittingly, Hammers No20 and Kick It Out ambassador Guy Demel is wholeheartedly championing the cause, insistent that education is the pathway to ridding the sport of prejudice.

"I believe the only way to kick out the problem is to target educating youths," Demel explained. "It's important for everybody to be happy in sport - and I think it all starts with educating the kids.

"It's important to have an organisation like Kick It Out because it's never nice to be abused. Racism isn't just against black people - it can be white people too. It's not always about a specific colour or nation.

"Any form is not good in society so it's important to send out a positive message. Having lots of meetings and discussions about this can educate people that football is no different to anywhere else in the world.

"We as a club here at West Ham United will once again be supporting the Kick It Out campaign. In the 20 years it has been running there has been a lot achieved, but there is more work still to be done."

Kick It Out's Professional Game Manager, Keeley Baptista, has praised West Ham's continued support for the organisation's campaigns.

She said: "Kick It Out has a long-standing relationship with West Ham United and is aware of all of the work undertaken by the Club to promote anti-discrimination initiatives throughout the year.

"The campaign has developed strong links with the West Ham United Community Sports Trust and sees how the Club engages so positively with their supporters and the local community.

"Leadership on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion comes from the very top of the club with joint-chairman David Gold a firm supporter of Kick It Out and its key initiatives."

The Hammers also commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) earlier this year, a poignant reminder of the tragedies of the past and a platform to highlight the discrimination that is still prevalent in conflict today.

HMD demonstrates how lessons of the past can inform lives today to create a safer future, while presenting a chance to cement a collective commitment to social inclusion.

Elsewhere, West Ham remain at the forefront where Football v Homophobia is concerned. The Hammers lent their backing for a third successive season, kick-starting February's international show of support.

As one of the very first professional clubs to do so in 2012, Club captain Kevin Nolan reiterated: "We're passionate about supporting this and we hope that it sends out a message that there is no place for discrimination in football, nor in any sport."