Why Worthing Thunder will wear Black Lives Matter jerseys

Worthing Thunder's Zaire Taylor, who has revealed his personal link to the black Lives Matter campaign

The bespoke jerseys will be worn at random games throughout the season – and instead of the player’s own name on the back of the shirt, the name of a black person who has been a victim of alleged police brutality will be featured.

Thunder are selling replicas of the jerseys for £35 a time, with a third of money going to the family of Eric Garner, who died after being arrested in New York in 2014, a third to Black Lives Matter UK and the remainder to Thunder’s youth programme

Thunder player-director Zaire Taylor said it had been inspired by the killing in May this year of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a death that resulted in one police officer being charged with murder and manslaughter and three other police officers charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.

The bespoke shirts Worthing Thunder will wear at some of their matches in the new season

Taylor said: “The fact this was recorded for the world to see created a public uproar and outcry around the world to end racism, inequality and police brutality. This was not the first time that such a horrific act had taken place... it wasn’t the first and hasn’t been the last.

“I haven’t spoken much on the issue publicly, and to a large extent that is because it hurts me to the core when such heinous acts occur.

“It affects us all as humans and it affects me as a black man, I also believe it affects me even more as a black American man, for America is a place where these criminal acts happen far too often.”

Taylor recalled the events of July 17, 2014, in his home town in Staten Island, New York, when Eric Garner died after being forcefully arrested. The death was ruled as homicide but murder charges were not pursued against the officer, who was later fired.

Taylor said: “I had the privilege of meeting Eric a month prior at his son Eric’s signing day to his university as he signed his scholarship to play college basketball. Eric is a friend of mine, I coached him in his youth. We spoke on the phone recently and talked of how we were at a game when he heard the news of his father. Racism is one of the ugliest things that plague our society.

“Worthing Thunder’s Black Lives Matter kit will be the first of our socially conscious jersey series to be released throughout this season.

“Players will not have their last name on their kit, but a person of their choice that has died through police brutality. I will be wearing Eric Garner’s name on the back of my jersey.” For orders, email [email protected]