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England broadcast to open in black and white in honour of Kick It Out

Sky Sports will broadcast the first 25 seconds of England's friendly against Switzerland on Tuesday in black and white to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out.

England players will also wear special T-shirts during warmups and walk onto the pitch alongside eight children nominated by the organisation, which was founded in 1993.

"We at Kick It Out are delighted with this gesture in recognition of our work to make football a better sport for all across the last 25 years," chairman Lord Herman Ouseley said in a statement. "We hope the footage will be a powerful reminder of how far football has come in the last 25 years to make the game a more open and diverse place -- welcoming to all regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation."

The black-and-white transmission will be the first of an England game in nearly 50 years, according to Sky Sports.

"Over the past 25 years, the Kick It Out campaign has been instrumental in changing the landscape of English football," said Steve Smith, Sky Sports' director of content and production. "Having supported them all the way, we're delighted to be able to help celebrate this landmark moment in such a unique way."