The Black History Cup was an idea conceived by Conrad from Jamrock F.C. and Ben Cascoe from London South United FC.

Both Conrad and Ben cam together as they both felt that for many years, there wasn’t enough celebration of Black History Month in the football community. Conrad and Ben both believed that there should be more workshops and competitions for Black History Month, to encourage more football clubs to support various equality and diversity initiatives which celebrate Black History Month. 

As a result, the Black History Cup was born in 2022. In it’s first year, they only had 8 clubs involved and playing. The fixtures were being played midweek which came with its own challenges including the cost of hiring pitches with floodlights.

For 2023, numbers have increased significantly with 16 veteran clubs and 8 open age clubs involved, with these clubs coming from all areas of London as well as a tournament division in Kent. Conrad and Ben attribute this success to the mini league running in August so clubs can use the early rounds of the cup as preseason opportunities.

This year, two cup finals will be held at Rectory Park on Saturday 28th October 2023 and London FA would encourage the London football community to attend the momentous day!

Conrad and Ben would like to thank the London FA, in particular Aquila Burgess and Priti Trivedi, for helping to achieve a dream come true.

London FA Head of Partnerships Aquila Burgess, commented the following about supporting the Cup:

"London FA are delighted to be supporting the Black History Cup this year, as we build towards the final taking place in October. As part of our commitment within our Racial Equality Action Plan, London FA has some exciting plans to highlight trailblazers, programmes, and initiatives within the game during Black History Month, starting with showcasing the Black History Cup.

"Furthermore, many thanks to Craig at SEAKAID for doing all the artwork and producing the programme. SEAKAID is a registered charity whose core mission is to identify and distribute sports kit and equipment to socially disadvantaged children and young people in the UK and overseas, providing educational support and resources to those most in need."

If you would like more information about the Black History Cup, you can contact London Vets Ballerz at londonvetsballerz@gmail.com

You can also find out more information about SEAKAID on seakaid.com