BRITISH RAPPER, singer and songwriter Stormzy and Adidas have launched a collaborative venture, #Merky FC – a programme committed to enhancing and protecting diverse representation in the football industry.

#Merky FC is a new movement that will affect change across the industry by addressing the lack of diversity off the pitch in football and providing access to a host of multi-year, paid professional placements across the industry.

The initiative combines adidas’s football leadership with Stormzy’s experience in creating equality in education and the workplace for young people of Black heritage.

Both Stormzy and adidas have brought together 10 leading brands, from Manchester United and Fulham FC, to Sky Sports and LADbible (full list of partners below), to form part of the careers programme that will commence in January 2023, each providing work placements from operations and community to creative and marketing within their businesses, in a bid to change the game.

The launch of #Merky FC comes as research commissioned by adidas with FARE Network reveals just 6.7% of senior roles in football are taken by someone who identifies as Black or mixed Black heritage.

Even though the sport may appear diverse on the field of play, with 39% of Premier League players identifying as Black or mixed Black heritage, it is a different story off pitch.

Becoming a footballer is something a significant proportion of Black British young people desire to achieve (64%), yet only 0.012% will make it as a Premier League professional.

On average, it’s at the age of 14-17 years old that dreams of becoming a professional player. Despite being one of the most common career dreams for young people, data reveals a surprisingly low proportion of young Black British men (26%) aspire to have a career in football off the pitch.

When it comes to young Black women – the majority (52%) say they want a role in football, yet 40% don’t think they’d make it based on gender. One of the biggest challenges faced by young Black people trying to break into the industry is their ethnic background (33%), as well as awareness and access to information on available roles off the pitch (27%).

Physio, TV presenter and nutritionist are the most well-known roles within the wider football industry for this group. However, just 12-14% of respondents think they would be considered for each of these positions.

Over half (55%) of Black British youth admitted to having faced discrimination when applying for white collar roles in the past. Of the 70% who have tried to get a work placement in an industry they are passionate about, nearly half (49%) have faced difficulties due to their ethnic background.

Stormzy: said of the venture: “Just 6.7% of senior roles in football are taken by someone who identifies as Black or mixed Black heritage.

“We barely see any black team managers, coaches, sports presenters, assistants, ops managers, sales managers, accountants, marketing managers or physiotherapists – the list goes on, nor are many of us even aware of the vast roles available within the football industry.

“Through the #Merky FC initiative we hope to inspire real change within this field as part of my wider commitment to support racial equality in the UK.

With the support of adidas and the additional 10 partners, we will be in a position to aid the people who may have experienced disadvantages during their football career pathway. We strongly encourage other companies to join us in our mission.”

adidas said: “We are passionate about providing inclusive opportunities to young talent in the UK.

“We are proud to be working in partnership with Stormzy to introduce #Merky FC, an initiative that directly tackles some of the biggest barriers facing UK youth in football today, by creating a legacy of career opportunities off the pitch alongside the other partners.

“Along with the support of our network of adidas partners, we are committed to fighting for equal representation in football, and this launch is only the beginning for #Merky FC. Watch this space.” 

#Merky FC is open to all. Candidates can visit merkyfc.com to find out more and register their interest in the placements available.