Tottenham Hotspur is proudly supporting Down Syndrome Awareness Week, with its Men’s and Women’s First Team players training in colourful mismatched socks.

The #LotsOfSocks campaign embraces the sock-like appearance of chromosomes. Individuals born with Down syndrome typically have three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two.

Wearing mismatched socks is the perfect way to show that no two people are the same – regardless of the number of chromosomes they have – and people across the world are encouraged to take part by ‘rocking their socks’ on March 21st, World Down Syndrome Day.

The Club’s players wore a range of colourful mismatched socks, provided by Nike, at a session attended by young people with Down syndrome and their families.

They include Tom and Lisa Grimshaw, Spurs supporters whose five-year-old son, Albie, was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth.

The family has been supported by PSDS – a Surrey-based charity providing support for children and young people with Down syndrome and their families. Affiliated to the national Down’s Syndrome Association, PSDS is one of the many local charities benefitting from the funds and awareness raised by #LotsOfSocks.

Albie’s Mum, Lisa, said: “Albie’s diagnosis at birth was unexpected and we worked hard at getting through all of the fear attached to that. The first few months were tricky – that was until I was introduced to the most wonderful charity, PSDS. We started attending one of their pre-school support groups and we worked with incredible people who supported Albie with his development, and us emotionally and practically. We have made lifelong friends and Albie got the very best start to school thanks to all the people at PSDS who continue to support us on his journey. Albie is a happy, cheeky, determined, strong minded little boy who has a real desire to learn and entertain. He continues to amaze us and all who work with him on a daily basis and is loved by all who meet him.”

Spurs players and coaching staff who were lucky enough to meet Albie, along with his 9-year-old brother, Maxwell, and a number of other young supporters with Down syndrome from our official disabled supporters’ association, SpursAbility.

They included Theo Scott, Daniele Castiglione and Owen Bright, who was memorably the star of a recent Fan Forum, picked out of the audience by Ange Postecoglou to ask a question to conclude the event.

Also in attendance at the session was Harry Sapford, who was introduced to the Club’s catering team by the Down’s Syndrome Association as he was passionate about becoming a chef and was also a huge Spurs fan. Harry has now been working at the stadium for the past two years and has started his apprenticeship as a production chef, with the aim of being able to move into his own home and live independently.

The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation has delivered a wide range of sports and employability programmes for people living with disabilities across our local communities for over 17 years, working closely with The Vale school in Tottenham to provide enrichment activities for its students, who were also in attendance.

The Club’s Executive Director and Chair of Trustees of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, Donna-Maria Cullen, said: “We are a Club that has always championed diversity and inclusivity across everything we do, guided by the belief that football is for everyone and nobody should be denied an opportunity to achieve their full potential in life.

“This is why the #LotsOfSocks campaign resonates with us – a simple and visually effective way of breaking down stigmas and celebrating the differences that make us wonderfully unique. We were delighted to welcome inspirational individuals and their families to the Club to join our players in spreading this message of acceptance and understanding ahead of Down Syndrome Awareness Week.”

Helen Shiers, Co-Founder, PSDS, said: “Tottenham Hotspur’s support of #LotsOfSocks further amplifies the efforts made by individuals and groups within the Down syndrome community who work together tirelessly all year round to drive forward positive changes through improvements to inclusion and equality.

“For family members or friends, it is a celebration of the joy a loved one with Down syndrome brings to our lives, in spite of the inequalities they face in so many aspects of their own. These challenges are often the result of outdated and inaccurate stereotypes rooted in the past.

“Progress has been made, but many important changes are still needed. Asking individuals and their families to share their stories and responding to what they have to say is the most powerful way to understand what it means to have Down syndrome – that one extra copy of the 21st chromosome – today.”