What would football be like if the crowd was silent? For deaf fans, this has been their reality, until now.
We’ve always known that sports have the power to unite fans, but how do we connect with fans that cannot hear? Well, Newcastle’s latest campaign seems to have figured it out.
On April 13, 2024, Newcastle United debuted its ‘Unsilence The Crowd’ campaign along side front-of-shirt sponsor SELA. In a first of its kind design, haptic shirts containing sensors transformed the noise from the crowd into real-time touch sensations. For the first time, a group of young fans who are supported by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) got to be fully immersed in the live football experience.
Utilizing broadcast micrphones to capture sound around the stadium, the noise is converted from analogue to digital formatting through a special software. The software then transforms captured sound to touch data which is transmitted to the shirts in real time.
And this is not a one-off experience.
The club has committed to providing this technology at all home matches with the hope of spreading awareness and inspiring other clubs to follow suit.
Dan Burns reinforced the message of support for the deaf community during a post-goal celebration. After celebrating Alexander Isak’s second goal (the third goal of the game), Burns slipped away and sent a special message using British Sign Language (BSL) to the fans at St. James’ Park and those watching at home.
Finding a TV camera, Burns signed “Love the Fans” in BSL, fulfilling a promise made to young deaf fans at an event earlier in the week. Emotions clear on the young fan’s faces, it is surely a moment they will never forget.
The launch of ‘Unsilence The Crowd’ comes shortly after the Lionesses wore training shirts with each player’s name in BSL lettering prior to their match against Sweden on April 4th.
Both campaigns provide a powerful reminder that the differences that separate us also have the power to unite us.
Cait Lesko 
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