Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga, Naomi Bedeau, and Andrew Omobamidele were invited to share their experiences as part of a Nottinghamshire Police-led initiative for Black History Month. Their stories will be revealed weekly throughout October to combat racism and celebrate Black culture. As part of the campaign, midfielder Gibbs-White, who serves as Forest’s vice-captain, recounted his first experience of abuse on the pitch during school. “They almost make you feel different from others just because of the color of your skin, which is obviously wrong in so many ways because everyone is human and everyone’s blood is red,” he stated. “When I first encountered racial abuse, I was quite immature and didn’t know how to handle it. However, as I’ve matured and spoken to more people, that has significantly helped me learn how to deal with things the right way and seek support.”

Forest forward and Swedish international Anthony Elanga delivered a powerful message to anyone considering hate speech and to those who may be affected by racism.

He stated, “What I would say is, would you want to be on the other end of that? I don’t think so, so why do it to another person? Just treat people the way you want to be treated because, at the end of the day, what goes around comes around.”Addressing young people in Nottingham, Elanga added, “Be proud of who you are, as you’re here for a reason and have got a mission in this world.”

Some of the questions posed to the players came from the Hyson Green branch of the Nottinghamshire Police Cadets, a volunteer group consisting of young people from the local community.

Their questions were recorded and presented to the players at Forest’s training ground. One notable question came from 13-year-old Alisha, who asked Forest Women’s Naomi Bedeau about the importance of inspiring young girls in the community. Bedeau responded, “It’s everything. Inspiring the next generation is crucial for me, as I was never a young girl who attended football games thinking I could be a professional footballer. Now, it’s something that feels attainable.” She emphasized, “Having these role models is very important, so they can see it and believe they can do it.”

Defender Andrew Omobamidele was asked by 12-year-old Oli how he manages being a footballer while facing the threat of online abuse. He responded, “I don’t personally look too much into it, but when you see it targeted at you, it is difficult to ignore. I think it comes back to having that inner confidence and support system.” Omobamidele added, “The only opinions I care about are those of my manager, my teammates, and my family, especially my mum. Other than that, if it’s not affecting my career in any way, I try my best to pay no mind to it.

” Ch Supt Sukesh Verma, head of Local Policing at Nottinghamshire Police, commented, “Black History Month is incredibly important, especially considering the diversity and makeup of our county and the cultural challenges we are working to support and address after many years of damage.”

“People from all walks of life have personal stories to tell, so we’re extremely grateful to the Nottingham Forest players who chose to share theirs with us as part of this campaign.

”Nottinghamshire Police will be sharing the videos featuring the players each week throughout the month on their social media pages.