Led by The Football Association, Play Safe Weekend (27-28 September) encourages clubs and leagues to play their part in making the game safe, fun and enjoyable for everyone - everywhere, every time.
The campaign is endorsed by the NSPCC and backed at every level of English football - from the Premier League to the grassroots game - highlighting the collective responsibility to protect and empower young people in the sport.
At St. James' Park, campaign branding will be displayed as Newcastle United host Arsenal on Sunday. Both team captains will wear Play Safe armbands and managers will show their support with Play Safe pin badges. The message will also be visible across Newcastle United Academy fixtures, reinforcing the club's commitment to safeguarding at every level.
This year's campaign theme, 'Small Talk is Bigger Than You Think', focuses on giving young people a voice. It's a call to action for every adult in football to create open conversations, ask questions, and actively listen to children.
Newcastle United Academy continues to lead by example through its Player Voice strategy; an approach designed to give young players multiple opportunities to share their thoughts and feelings each week. Regular contact points include:
One-to-one wellbeing assessments
A daily wellbeing app check-in
Regular meetings with the safeguarding and wellbeing team
Proactive group ‘player voice’ sessions
Julie Smith, Academy Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager at Newcastle United, said: "At our Academy, safeguarding isn't just about protection, it's about empowerment.
"This year's Play Safe message reminds us that everyday conversations can be transformative, and our Player Voice strategy puts that into practice every day. It is a commitment to listening and ensures that every young person has regular, meaningful opportunities to be seen, heard and supported.
"By embedding regular opportunities for honest conversation, we're building a culture where players know their thoughts and feelings matter. That's what safeguarding looks like in practice."
Parents and carers are also being encouraged to get involved in Play Safe by completing The FA's online safeguarding awareness training. It's free and takes just 25 minutes to complete.
Sue Ravenlaw, The FA's Head of Safeguarding said: "Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and this year's FA Play Safe campaign is all about encouraging adults in football to actively listen to children - to notice the small things, ask questions, and create a safe space for open conversations. We want every club, league and individual involved in the game to feel confident in their role and proud of the part they play in keeping football safe, fun and inclusive for all.
"We're excited to see the football community come together once again to show their support and commitment across our Play Safe weekend and beyond. We also hope to see many more parents and carers completing our free online awareness training, which is designed to provide greater insight into this important area of our game."
You can read more about Play Safe 2025 here: https://www.englandfootball.com/playsafe.
