Home Ground by Alan Gibbons

Author:Alan Gibbons
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Published: 2020-09-01T16:00:00+00:00

Celtic had scored, but Jordan was angry. “That was a fluke,” he said. “I had the best chance.”

Sam shook his head. “Stop moaning,” he said. “We got a draw. That’s a point on the board, and it’s no thanks to you.”

Sam caught up with Hasan and Faisal.

Jordan had never been a friend. Now Sam had made him an enemy.

FRIENDSHIP THROUGH FOOTBALL

Refugees and asylum seekers are trying to escape from war and get to safety. When they arrive in the UK, they often have very little money and some of them don’t speak English. They don’t get to choose where they live and sometimes have to move around a lot. Sometimes, they have to leave Britain and are sent back to where they came from. It can be a very lonely and scary life.

Activities like sport can help refugees to settle in to their new home, have something to do and meet people. Sport helps people stay in good health, and that helps them to feel better about themselves.

Footballing clubs in the UK can help refugees become part of their local communities. For example, the City of Liverpool FC run a programme called Football for Everyone. They have helped over 300 refugees and asylum seekers. They give them equipment, coaching and kit. This helps refugees and asylum seekers feel less lonely. They can meet and play with local people. You don’t need to speak English in order to kick a ball about with someone.

Everton in the Community also works with refugees. When former Everton manager Roberto Martinez came down to play football with the refugees, he said: “What it shows you is how powerful football can be when used in the right way.” Smiling at someone else is easy, he explained. And just a smile can make a big difference to someone who is lonely and afraid.

Amnesty International, a group which tries to help refugees around the world, also believes that football is a great way to help people come together. They organised a weekend they called “Football Welcomes”. It was a celebration of all that refugees in Britain have given to professional football since the Second World War. More than half of the clubs in the Premier League took part. Some put on special matches or gave away tickets, others set up tours of their stadiums or arranged visits from star players. This was their way of saying loud and clear that refugees are welcome in the UK.

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