Midnight Street Soccer Finals a Major Success.

 

 

For the last 12 weeks and as part of the Midnight Street Soccer Programme, 5-A-Side football leagues have been held for 14 to 17 year olds at 13 venues throughout Belfast and Northern Ireland. The Midnight Street Soccer Championship concluded on Saturday 20th June with the Finals at the JJB Soccer Dome in Dundalk, a great opportunity for young people from all across Northern Ireland to come together in the spirit of fair play. Over 300 young people and 32 teams participated in the event, and on the night, it was the Benchwarmers from North Belfast who took first place in the Midnight Street Soccer Championship. Glebe Utd, took the Shield home to Strabane.

The venues included the Waterworks Multi Sports Facility, Brooke Activity Centre, Cregagh Community Centre, Paisley Park, Olympia Leisure Centre, Mini Pitches, MUGA in Derry, Melvon Sports Centre Strabane, St Eugenes High School and Laurelhill in Lisburn.

 

Midnight Street Soccer is a community football project that aims to provide opportunities for young people to take part in sport at times when communities are vulnerable to anti social behaviour. It is supported by Sport Relief.

 

 

But, as Project Manager Billy Wylie explains, the project looks set for a bright future,

 

“Every year the programme continues to grow. It continues to grow with 16 venues across Northern Ireland that started in March and finished with the National Final held in Dundalk on June 20th. A lot of hard work goes in to the project, the volunteers and coaches are essential in the delivery of the programme.

Being accessible to the young people is the key to this, a lot of the youth provisions available to the young people are not open at the weekends, so Midnight Street Soccer gives the young people an alternative”

 

 

The Midnight Street Soccer Championship will begin again in August , and anyone interested in taking part can call Billy on 07788155834 or check out www.midnightstreetsoccer.com.