# Troy Townsend

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{{Short description|British activist (born 1965)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

'''Troy Donoghue Townsend''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (born 1 August 1965<ref name="Life and Times">{{Cite news |last1=Rushden |first1=Max |last2=Glendenning |first2=Barry |last3=Townsend |first3=Troy |last4=Grove |first4=Joel |last5=Stephens |first5=Danielle |date=27 June 2023 |title=The life and times of Troy Townsend – Football Weekly |language=en-GB |work=the Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2023/jun/27/the-life-and-times-of-troy-townsend-football-weekly-podcast |access-date=28 June 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>) is a British anti-racism worker, broadcaster and former footballer. He is head of development at the anti-racism organisation [Kick It Out](/source/Kick_It_Out_(organisation)), where he has worked since 2001.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tweet posted October 27 2021 |url=https://twitter.com/kickitout/status/1453345738860154883?lang=en-GB |publisher=Kick it Out |access-date=29 June 2023}}</ref> He was previously a youth footballer with [Millwall](/source/Millwall_F.C.) and [Crystal Palace](/source/Crystal_Palace_F.C.),<ref name="Life and Times" /> and later manager at [Leyton](/source/Leyton_F.C.), [Cheshunt](/source/Cheshunt_F.C.), and coach at [Slough Town](/source/Slough_Town_F.C.) and [Boreham Wood](/source/Boreham_Wood_F.C.). He is a regular pundit on [The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)'s [Football Weekly](/source/Football_Weekly) podcast.<ref name="Guard">{{cite web |title=Troy Townsend |url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/troy-townsend |work=The Guardian |access-date=29 June 2023}}</ref>

Townsend has been involved with Kick It Out since 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 April 2021|title=Kick It Out's Townsend: 'We are fed up with hashtags' in fight against racist abuse|url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4371183/kick-it-outs-townsend-we-are-fed-up-with-hashtags-and-fed-up-of-slogans-in-fight-against-racist-abuse|access-date=4 October 2021|website=[ESPN](/source/ESPN)|language=en}}</ref> 
In 2013, the [Football Association](/source/The_Football_Association) presented him with a Grassroot Hero Award for his anti-racism work.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 January 2014|title=ANDROS AND TROY TOWNSEND TO MAKE FA CUP DRAW ON SUNDAY|url=https://www.thefa.com/news/2014/Jan/24/andros-troy-townsend-fa-cup-draw|access-date=4 October 2021}}</ref> He has been a regular pundit with The Guardian since 2021.<ref name="Guard" />

Townsend is the father of professional footballer [Andros Townsend](/source/Andros_Townsend).<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 November 2017|title=Father of Crystal Palace Winger Andros Townsend Slams West Brom's Appointment of Alan Pardew|url=https://www.90min.com/posts/5863017-father-of-crystal-palace-winger-andros-townsend-slams-west-brom-s-appointment-of-alan-pardew|access-date=4 October 2021|website=90min.com|language=en}}</ref> His son Kurtis Townsend was in the youth team at [AFC Wimbledon](/source/AFC_Wimbledon),<ref name="Life and Times" /> but died in 2001 following a car accident while travelling to a game for Cheshunt.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shepherd |first1=Sarah |title='The worst thing was having to ring his mum' – Troy Townsend on the death of his son Kurtis |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3328457/2022/05/24/troy-townsend-kurtis-townsend/ |publisher=The Athletic |access-date=29 June 2023}}</ref> His nephew is footballer [Colin Kazim-Richards](/source/Colin_Kazim-Richards).<ref name=coke>{{cite news |last1=Brewin |first1=Joe |title=Interview: "I'm not the Coca-Cola Kid – I'm Colin Kazim-Richards" From Bury to Brazil with football's misunderstood globetrotter |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/colin-kazim-richards-brazil-what |access-date=2 October 2023 |work=[FourFourTwo](/source/FourFourTwo) |date=9 January 2017}}</ref>

Townsend was appointed [Member of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Member_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (MBE) in the [2024 New Year Honours](/source/2024_New_Year_Honours) for services to diversity and inclusion in association football.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64269|supp=y|page=N26|date=30 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 December 2023 |title=Emilia Clarke, Paul Hollywood and Shirley Bassey among stars on new year honours list |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/celebrity-news/new-year-honours-emilia-clarke-paul-hollywood-b2470974.html |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Troy}}
Category:Living people
Category:Association football coaches
Category:English football managers
Category:Leyton F.C. managers
Category:1965 births
Category:British anti-racism activists
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Black British sportsmen

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Troy Townsend](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Townsend) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Townsend?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.