BURTON Albion is supporting the Play Safe Campaign, an ongoing national initiative with the aim of focussing attention on the vital importance of safeguarding in our national game.
Running all year, the Play Safe campaign is strongly highlighted during football’s National Safeguarding Weekend, which is being held this year on Saturday/Sunday 1st & 2nd October – with our match against Forest Green being our official Play Safe fixture.
Aaron Webster, Burton Albion Hall of Famer, is backing the campaign. Webster who made over 500 appearances for the Brewers in a 15-year career, has recently taken up a full-time role as the club’s player care representative for the Academy.
The former left-back said: “Safeguarding is vitally important in football. When I was starting off in my career there wasn’t really much in the way of safeguarding and player care. With everything that footballers and particularly younger footballers are exposed to in the modern game, having a set up to care for them off the pitch as well as on it is crucial.”
The main focus of this year’s Play Safe campaign is on the role parents and carers play in football and Webster fully supports that message.
“Without my Mum I wouldn’t be where I am today. She was aways there for me during my junior and senior career. If there was anything wrong, she would make sure I was okay again.
“Parents and carers are huge in football and I’m glad this weekend is highlighting their importance.”
Burton Albion Safeguarding Lead Graham Redfern said: “Safeguarding is a huge thing in football. Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the next generation of players is massively important. Safeguarding is ultimately everyone’s responsibility.
“We need to ensure that everyone in football, particularly children and young people have a safe experience of the beautiful game. Play Safe is a great reminder of that responsibility.”
Play Safe is being run in partnership with the NSPCC and has the full backing of the Premier League, EFL, Barclay’s Women’s Super League and Barclay’s Women’s Championship. It is also supported and being run across every other level of the game.
- It’s important parents and carers recognise what needs to be in place for their child to have a positive football experience. That’s why we’re backing the FA’s Play Safe campaign. Take part in a 30-minute, online safeguarding course for parents and carers HERE