A flutter of inspirational people from the East Midlands attended the regional Football Black List celebration at the start of October.
The event, which was supported by the Football Association, took place at King Power Stadium and was hosted by broadcaster and presenter, Nikki Tapper.
The evening commenced with an awards ceremony, where community champions in the East Midlands were honoured for their work in football – ranging from coaching and refereeing to managing local clubs.
Former Leicester City FC legend, Wes Morgan, was also in attendance and participated in a panel discussion on stage. Highlighting the importance of grassroots football, Morgan said: “There’s a lot of good work that gets unnoticed and needs to get recognition. It’s events like these that shine a light on these individuals. It’s fantastic to see people attend and speak about their journey’s.”
Morgan shot to fame at Leicester City FC, where he ended up winning the Premier League title alongside his teammates in 2016, and the FA Cup against Chelsea in 2021 before retiring at the end of the season.
The evening ended with a tribute to Gerry Burke and Neville Hamilton – two incredible people from the football and Black community who made a huge impact in the Leicestershire county.
Football Black List co-founder Rodney Hinds added: “It was another great night in the East Midlands. Leicester City and the local community should be very proud of the recent Football Black List. There is a genuine appetite for the celebration and myself and fellow co-founder Leon Mann, are truly grateful for the interest as we continue the quest to reward individuals within the beautiful game, and maybe more importantly, inspire the next generation.”
The Football Black List would like to thank everyone who attended and played their part in making a memorable evening.
Bertram Louis
Faith, Niah & Otis Msundire
Holly Morgan
Ivan Liburd
Jos Johnson
Ku Akeredolu
Paul Bup
Click below to watch our FBL Leicester highlights film