Watford FC and our Community, Sports & Education Trust have been celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, which is a time of spiritual reflection, heightened devotion, self-improvement and worship for the Muslim faith.
The holy month, which came to an end with last week’s Eid-Al-Fitr celebrations, has become a key time in the football season, as clubs and governing bodies continue to support Muslim players, coaches, supporters and officials across the game.
The month started with a visit from Nujum Sports, who work closely with club staff to provide guidance and advice which helps our Muslim players across all teams to flourish, both during Ramadan and across the whole season.
The delivery of gift packs for the players has become a welcome tradition over the past few years and the packs were gratefully received.
The club and Trust also work with the Watford Muslim Youth Centre Trust (WMYCT) across the year and hosted an Iftar event at the stadium for the third year in a row.
Iftar is the name of the meal eaten by Muslims at sunset to break their fast and is the main meal of the day for those who are fasting.
The event was a huge success once again and was also attended by local dignitaries and people from different faiths and backgrounds.
A second Iftar event was held for children connected with the centre, which included a quiz and a stadium tour, before fast was broken with plenty of pizza and chips to go round and goodie bag prizes were presented to all who took part.
WMYCT trustees also joined members of club staff at the FA’s Iftar event, held at Wembley, during which the Adhan (call to prayer) for the Maghrib (evening) prayer was played across the stadium PA, creating a memorable experience for everyone present.
"The two special and meaningful gatherings in collaboration with Watford FC remind us that our club is not just about football; it's a place where diverse communities come together in unity and reflection," said Imran Khan, Secretary Trustee for Watford Muslim Youth Centre Trust.
"Ramadan's spirit teaches us that strength lies in our shared values and connections, both on and off the pitch and we look forward to further collaboration in the future."
Dave Messenger, the club’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion lead, added: "With every passing season we learn more about Ramadan, its special significance to everyone across the Muslim community and how we can best support our Muslim players, staff and fans.
"We are grateful to our friends at both Watford Muslim Youth Centre Trust and Nujum Sports for their ongoing commitment to our work and are already planning more events across the year, which will continue to enhance the great relationships we have built."
The dates for Ramadan change year to year because the Islamic lunar calendar is based on the Moon cycle.
This is a different system to the Gregorian calendar, which gives us dates, months and days of the week and is based on the Earth's movements around the sun.
This means that Ramadan usually falls about 11 days earlier than the year before and because of this, Ramadan will continue to fall during the football season for many years to come, and the Hornets look forward to continuing our work with the local Muslim community and marking Ramadan each year.
The Watford Muslim Youth Centre Trust was set up in May 2012 with the aim of establishing a multi-purpose community centre in Tolpits Lane, Watford.
The Centre will be an interactive space offering a wide range of educational and recreational activities to people of all ages and backgrounds.
WMYCT are already designing services and activities to be implemented and hope their endeavours will promote togetherness within Watford and help build bridges between various ethnic groups.
The Trust has raised approximately £2 million and requires a further £500,000 to complete their construction project.
Donations are welcome to help them achieve this goal at Lloyds Bank, Account Name: WMYC, Account Number: 01467260, Sort Code: 77-95-51.
More details can be found HERE.
For full details on the equality, diversity and inclusion work we are doing across Watford Football Club and the Community Trust, please click HERE.
