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8 hours ago
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There is a poignant silence as Tashan Daniel’s parents emerge on to Ken Friar Bridge on a cold, wet February afternoon in north London. With heads bowed, the England forwards Noni Madueke and Alessia Russo and the former Arsenal international turned TV host Alex Scott greet them with a hug before beginning a slow walk that Daniel was not able to complete in September 2019. The talented 20-year-old aspiring athlete and photographer was stabbed to death at Hillingdon station in west London on his way to watch his beloved Arsenal face Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.
“I’ve got no words; it’s horrible, something that shouldn’t be happening,” says Madueke, who spent much of the half hour it took to reach Daniel’s seat inside the Emirates speaking to Daniel’s father, Chandy. “We were just talking about Arsenal, just talking about life. He’s a real Arsenal fan and his son was as well. I told him that this season’s going to be a special year. It’s such a difficult situation that they have been having to go through for so long and we wanted to come out here and try to give them strength.”
Scott was spotted in deep conversation with Daniel’s mother, Celia, who made it to the platform at Hillingdon station where her son was killed after receiving a call telling her he had been stabbed. “I told her how much respect I have for her strength,” Scott says. “I thanked her for allowing us to be part of something so personal, and for trusting the wider community to carry Tashan’s memory with care. It wasn’t about saying anything profound, it was more about listening. Making sure she knows she’s not alone, and that her son’s name continues to stand for something powerful.”
The walk was part of the fifth year of Arsenal’s No More Red campaign in partnership with Adidas that is attempting to tackle the root causes of youth violence in London. More than 100 supporters and community champions turned out to show solidarity with Daniel’s parents and other victims of knife crime. Some were wearing the symbolic all-white kit that Arsenal sported in the FA Cup third round in previous seasons. The kit reflects the club’s desire for the bloodshed caused by knife crime to end and has been awarded to 272 people recognised for making a positive difference in their community.
Freddy Hudson, the director of Arsenal in the Community, says it will never go on sale to the public. “We’re going to continue to award the white shirt to individuals that are supporting young people in their journeys,” he says.
Mikel Arteta’s side reverted to their traditional red and white shirts this year against Portsmouth and Hudson felt it was time to switch the focus.
“The all-white kit got a lot of attention and did a brilliant job of putting a light on the serious topic of youth violence and knife crime,” he says. “Now it’s time to look forward and to take a deeper discussion into what it is about the work that Arsenal in the community does with young people that helps to keep them safe.
“We said all along we don’t have any solutions to knife crime but what we are really confident about is the aspects of our programmes, like the spaces we create, like the trusted role models that emerge. We’ve got a message out there but now’s the time to have a deeper, more mature discussion around young people and their safety and what they need.”
Arsenal have funded four pitch refurbishments in Islington and Hackney that have delivered more than 1,000 sessions to local children since 2021, and there are plans for a fifth pitch in the next 12 months. No More Red initiatives have also supported more than 50 young people into volunteering, education and employment opportunities.
“So many kids love football so it’s so important for us to reach out as much as we can into the communities and be a good influence on young people,” says Madueke, who also visited a local primary school just before Christmas on behalf of Arsenal in the Community. “It was really special to be around so many today and show them that we are with them. The fight against knife crime is something that we as a football club feel really strongly about. It’s so important to be with the community and try to share their pain.”
Scott says: “The idea of physically completing the journey Tashan was meant to take felt symbolic in a way that words can’t really capture. You could feel the weight of it, but also the unity. It turned something tragic into a moment of collective strength.”
For Madueke, ending the season with silverware would be the perfect way to honour Daniel’s memory. “It’s all about the collective. We know the opportunities we have to make it a special year and that’s what we’re trying to do. From the start of the season it felt like that and it still feels the same. We’re getting into the business end of the season where things are won, and we’re in a really good place to do that.”
