Some People Believe That Football...

[GULLiversTravels]

“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”
Bill Shankly OBE 1913-1981

Words that express the basic emotions of the game that football fans throughout the world understand.
I fell in love with football and Torquay United when dad took me and my little brother to see Leroy’s promotion team, what not to love? The last match I saw was when we beat a then poor Orient side, 3-0 in late November and hope was rekindled as we left Plainmoor.

A week later I was with people who months earlier had been in life and death situations, many suffering the effects of their earlier fate. I was in Calais and volunteered to work with refugees. I soon realised something that so many had in common was a love of playing and watching football. Football seemed to provide an escape from the reality of the refugees’ situation, however briefly, so they could live in the present. On the pitch we are all equal, defined only by how we express ourselves and our skill when playing. It brings a sense of self back to many who have lost it. I have since moved down to Ventimiglia on the France/ Italy border and have been arranging football games and screening televised matches, mainly the Champions and Europa League as well as the Premier League.
I don’t think I’ll be seeing any televised Torquay games in NLS next season but I am aiming to get something together for the World Cup for these diverse people who share our love for football.

If you are interested in what I have been trying to do please click on the link.

https://www.gofundme.com/Refugee-Community-Centre

Also if you know of anybody in Europe doing something similar, could you please give me their contact details so that I may learn from their experiences.


Thanks

[gullpower]

Well done GULLiversTravels. A nobel cause for the Nobel game. Good luck.

[DerWirtschafteFreund]

Also if you know of anybody in Europe doing something similar, could you please give me their contact details so that I may learn from their experiences.

Yorkshire St Pauli have done similar, following the lead of Lampedusa FC in Hamburg. Good article with links here:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/th ... gees-leeds

[GULLiversTravels]

Thank you for the replies and support!

Thank you DerWirtschafteFreund for the link, a good read and a good project, I'll see if I can get in touch!
Are you German? (a deduction from the name) I had a few very helpful German's helping me with the project about 2 months ago, whilst they were setting up and running other projects as well. It was a pleasure to work with them, the fact they spoke perfect English also helped!