Two football teams donned Kick Racism Out of Football T-Shirts before a symbolic football match in Blackburn.

The game between Blackburn United and Mill Hill is played as a regular fixture of the Blackburn and District Combination League.

The two teams saw the fixture as a means of underlining unity between young people in the town in the face of widespread segregation and racism. The Mill Hill Ward has a BNP councillor who was elected to the post at elections late last year.

The two sides also wanted to highlight the levels of racial tensions in grassroots football in the North West. Blackburn United have suffered abuse and racial attacks three times over the past season, with what they say is a lack of response from local footballing authorities.

The initiatives around the game include an exchange of shirts before kick-off and ongoing contact between the sides to express their mutual respect.

Kick It Out National Co-ordinator, Piara Powar, said, "Our congratulations to both Blackburn United and Mill Hill on this initiative, the symbolic coming together of the two communities through football is a lead that we hope many others will take.

"Concern at the presence of the far-right, and high levels of racism in amateur football extend to both communities. Football has a unique power to bring about friendship and unity."

Manager of Blackburn United, Hanif Mogra, commented, "Blackburn United feel that there is a worrying lack of awareness and understanding of racism in this area. This match we hoped, be a start in raising awareness of the issues across communities.

"In football, the number of racial attacks at the grassroots are intolerable, the football authorities seem to be blind and deaf to them.

"Ultimately both of our communities want to do is to live together without harassment or fear. Football represents a positive way of coming together on that basis."

Manager of Mill Hill FC Jordi Graham, told us, "It was a great idea. There is no place in society for racism never mind in football.

"I always go by the words of Martin Luther King who said, 'you must judge a man by the content of his character not by the colour of his skin'."

For information about Kick It Out see www.kickitout.org