'A beautiful day' - Leeds United unite Radebe and Ramazani for key Elland Road event

Leeds United host Black History Month event at Elland Road on October 16, 2024 with Lucas Radebe and Largie Ramazani in attendance
-Credit: (Image: Leeds United)


Legend Lucas Radebe and current Leeds United star Largie Ramazani were at the centre of a Black History Month event at Elland Road on Wednesday afternoon. Questions were asked of the pair about their own experiences of discrimination in their careers and they spoke candidly with youngsters attending the event.

Leeds United Foundation brought in youths from Outwood Academy Hemsworth, the Premier League Kicks programmes at Cross Flatts Park and Woodhouse, as well as Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy, through the Premier League Inspires initiative. Rich Foye, from the foundation, lead the event.

Ramazani said: “Today's a beautiful day. Mostly, we've done a little presentation about Black History Month. It's a powerful message the young kids know about it and they're quite smart. They know quite a lot about it and it was impressive.”

Radebe’s significant impact on Leeds between 1994 and 2005 inevitably meant he was the main attraction. There was a video shown to the younger attendees of his Elland Road career as well as som background on the discrimination Radebe had to live with as a player.

Growing up in South Africa, Radebe was surrounded by apartheid measures in the country, which made life incredibly hard for him. The 55-year-old was only too happy to return to LS11 and share his stories for such a cause.

“Some of them had a clue,” he said. “We didn't get too deep into it about apartheid, which is a word they're not familiar with, in terms of being racially discriminated or being excluded or banned from actually having an opportunity to realise our careers or our dreams.

“One of the questions they asked is about my background, how I managed to end up here, which I was happy about. I've always been happy to share because it's never easy and we can always learn from one another.

“For the club to take that responsibility, to pass the message, it's very encouraging.”

Ramazani was four when Radebe left United, so it’s understandable he didn’t know a lot about the Leeds legend as he was growing up. However, having met at the ground yesterday and hearing more about the South African’s story, the Whites winger was honoured to be in his company.

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“It's a great feeling because I did speak to him before we went in and he just told me a little bit about his life,” he said. “Obviously, when he got shot (in 1991), that's a powerful man, for what he did. He's done a great job and it's inspiring.”

Radebe will attend Friday night’s match with Sheffield United at Elland Road. This is the first time he has been back to the club since March 2023, when Brighton & Hove Albion visited in the Premier League.

The retired centre-back knows how important it is for the messages from the club to stretch beyond the four corners of the stadium on a matchday.

“It’s great coming back,” he said. “A lot of great memories from the club. To be able to come back in different programmes with the club, like what we've been doing today, which is Black History Month.

“It is very, very important for us in actually interacting with the academy players at Thorp Arch to talk about my background and where I come from, in terms of apartheid or racism. Being at Elland Road, it's very encouraging for me to see the young kids are just taking up the message, in making an impact into their communities.

“It makes my day full of joy and encouragement. Since I've been here, I have obviously been involved in kicking racism out of football, I can see there's traction now and it makes a huge difference.”