We Stand Together | Kwesi
About
Growing up in Rusholme, Kwesi was surrounded by football. Maine Road was part of the area’s soundtrack.
His connection to City felt natural. Clive Wilson, a Black City player, lived a couple of doors away. To see representation in professional football made the game feel closer to home. Kwesi went to Maine Road twice through his primary school, watching a draw and a loss. Later, he worked as a steward at City matches and remembers being there when the Club was relegated.
More than the results, Kwesi remembers the passion: the noise, the hope before a game, the build-up to a derby and the belief that the next match could be different. City was part of life beyond Maine Road, spilling into the streets and community where he grew up. That sense of a Club shaped by its people and its surroundings reflects the spirit of Lemn Sissay’s The Stadium Speaks.
Today, seeing supporters from different backgrounds cheering for City gives Kwesi a sense of shared purpose. He believes Black players’ contributions should be recognised and that the stadium should be a safe space where everyone can come together. His message is to value the people who helped build the Club, listen to their stories and look after one another.
