Three Lions in black and white for charity tribute

THE first 25 seconds of England’s friendly against Switzerland tonight will be broadcast in black and white to honour the 25th anniversary of football’s anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out.

The picture on Sky Sports’ coverage of the game at Leicester’s King Power Stadium will switch to black and white as the teams take the pitch. It will be first time England action has been broadcast without colour in nearly half a century.

The game, which kicks-off at 8pm, has been dedicated to Kick It Out by the Football Association and England’s stars will show their support by warming up in branded T-shirts and entering the pitch alongside mascots chosen by the charity. In a statement, the FA’s inclusion advisory board chairman Paul Elliott said: “Kick It Out have been a catalyst for the change in English football both on and off the pitch and we’re delighted to celebrate their inspirational work in promoting football for all.

“Hopefully, the footage will encourage the millions of viewers at home to spend at least 25 seconds thinking about the importance of diversity in this beautiful game of ours.”

Kick It Out chair Lord Herman Ouseley said the charity, which was founded in 1993, was delighted with the gesture and hoped it would be a ‘powerful reminder of how far football has come in the last 25 years to make the a game a more open and diverse place’.