NOEL-WILLIAMS: IAN WRIGHT IS MY IDOL

Former Clarets striker joins next generation of footballers to talk the importance of role-models, resilience and creating space to learn together. Discussion supports club’s ongoing celebration of Black History Month

The club hosted a special Q&A event at Turf Moor recently, welcoming former striker Gifton Noel-Williams, as part of our ongoing programme to celebrate former players and Black History Month across the season. Noel-Williams played over 50 times for the Clarets between 2005-07, scoring seven league goals, including a memorable hat-trick against Barnsley.He spent the morning taking part in a Q&A with some of the Burnley U18s squad, before watching them train later in the day.

 “It was nice to talk to the young men - the future of this club - about their journeys and they asked about my journey. It was nice to share that experience.”

 The Q&A addressed topics of role models and heroes, resilience and pushing forwards with personal and professional goals. In terms of his own journey, the former Clarets striker told the audience how he became an adult overnight.

 “I made my debut at 16, came out of school, landed a pro-contract but I really became an adult overnight. Becoming a dad at 16 gave me responsibility - it matured me and showed me something different, I think when you’re only worrying about yourself, you’re selfish to some degree.”

 Noel-Williams also spoke openly about losing his own father aged 13, and the influence his mother and cousin Michael had on him and how they were the real key behind his career and an anchor of guidance.

 “Mum was not always around and free to take me to training, she was either working or something was often happening, so I used to run lampposts for 10 miles to get to training and back, I’d run one lamppost, stop, and walk to the next, then run the other…it was if this is what you want to do, then you do it, it wasn’t for my mum, it wasn’t for anybody else, I wanted to be a professional footballer, and I was going to do whatever it takes.”

 The Islington-born striker knows the importance of pushing forwards and the influence of positive representation. He was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis as a teenager and believes it is vital young footballers of today have those they can look up to.

 “I think it is really important for young boys and girls to have heroes they can relate to, or someone with a similar upbringing, that child can then relate to that person. That is massive.

 “Ian Wright and Andy Cole were my heroes growing up. Ian Wright was massive for me, and obviously a hero when he played here. They both had different routes to the top, but when I was younger, you realise these two were normal Black guys just like myself, with similar family settings. I used to think ‘well if they have made it, maybe I can make it as well’.”

 When asked by the players what future athletes can do in terms of advocacy and standing up for what they believe in, Gifton said: “You don’t always get a million Marcus Rashford’s, but there’s a million of us, just normal people, and that’s how we make change.”

 Following the Q&A session, the former Claret talked about how he believes more athletes speaking out, teammates looking out for one another, and the important role fans can play will help future generations.

 “If I am honest with you the environment is better for the younger players now but equally the changing rooms, I grew up in were better than the ones before me, I do think it is getting better through education and culture. The world is coming together, and people are more accepting of other cultures.

 “The generation before me spoke about racism, mine was the one who fought and kicked down doors, and the next generation coming up will solve the problem. I’m a big believer in that.”

 Although his playing days are now over, Gifton is currently a coach educator across London and the South working at the Professional Footballers Association, whilst also working towards his next goal of becoming a first team coach and achieving the highest coaching accolade of a UEFA Pro License.

 His coaching journey also brought up the subject of unconscious bias in football and the underrepresentation of Black coaches working in the game.

 “We all have unconscious biases, but we need to be part of the solution. Conversations and education offer us perspectives, it’s small steppingstones to ensuring decisions being made are based on real things and real experience, not your age, race or perceptions.”

October marked Black History Month across the UK, with the club working alongside the Premier League to recognise diversity across the football community with this year’s theme being ‘Proud To Be’.

 “Black History Month teaches us about perceived Black history and real Black history - Proud To Be means acknowledging all the great people that came before us and have done wonderful things.”

Gurpri Bains, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead at Burnley FC, who helped bring Gifton Noel-Williams back to the club for this event, also reaffirmed that the club will continue to include and celebrate diversity throughout the year.

“We have made a really big point to say it is more than a month, I wanted to reengage former Black players with the current academy players; it’s really important for these youngsters to learn more about the diverse heritage of the club. I have already learnt so much about that during my own time here, and we need to keep celebrating former players and the collective heritage of the club.”

We will continue to mark the contribution that players of African and Caribbean descent have made to the club and the league across digital channels more broadly across the 2021/22 season.

Pace, aged 53, brings 20 years in the financial services industry and over a decade of sports management experience to Burnley. A dual British American national, he was formally a Managing Director and Global Head of Sales for Securities Services at Citi, responsible for overseeing a multibillion-dollar division. Find out more about him and Mike Garlick here.