The event comes as part of a shared strategy to increase south Asian representation within academy football and encourage participation from young hopefuls hoping to break into football.
The event showcased talents of pre-academy players (under-6 to under-8s) with sessions led by Mark Bertram (Pre-Academy Lead Coach) and the club's academy coaches, under the watchful eye of the talent identification team.
Selected players from the event will be given an opportunity within the Newcastle United Development Centres and Foundation Elite Centres, as well as signposted to the Northumberland FA to join grassroot clubs.
Parents and guardians also had the opportunity to learn more about elite player pathways from our academy staff and players including Steve Harper (Academy Director), Mark Atkinson (Head of Player Development) and Mohamed Waddani (under-16s player). The PFA's Riz Rehman also delivered a short presentation on the PFA's Asian Inclusion Mentoring Scheme (AIMS).
Newcastle United, along with the PFA, is committed to bolstering links with south Asian communities and families in more than just a football capacity, and this event with follow up initiatives will create a solid platform upon which to build.
"Equality, Diversity and Inclusion sits at the core of what we are at the Academy and is intrinsic to our club values," said Harper. "We know that talent is everywhere but often opportunities are not, so by taking part in this event it is a crucial step towards more pathways into the professional game.
"It was great to see the participants embracing and enjoying the Academy experience, and the staff working well with them in showing what it means to be an Academy player. I was really pleased that Newcastle United could play a key role in bringing together our community in this way."
Newcastle United's Head of Inclusion, Zoë Hingston, said: "Events like these are so important for us as a club in terms of ensuring that we strive to ensure football is representative of the communities around us and we know that we need to do our part in making that happen.
"It was fantastic to also have Northumberland FA supporting us who sit at the heart of grassroots football to signpost those who didn't know how to begin with in terms of finding a local team."
PFA’s Player Inclusion Executive, Riz Rehman, added: "This event has been in the making since the start of the year and it was great to see Steve, Zoë and a number of incredible staff across the academy put on a memorable experience for all players and families in attendance. This is the first step as part of our longer-term strategy to see meaningful change.
"These initial academy experience events will allow us to shine a light on a concentration of south Asian players and provide an opportunity for Newcastle to further build long lasting links with south Asian communities and players that will go beyond these one-off events.
"Our aim is to develop more professional footballers and via our Asian Inclusion Mentoring Scheme and our data insights, we can nurture the elite talent and track the progress that these events will undoubtedly contribute to over the coming years."
