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MIDNIGHT STREET SOCCER FOOTBALL CLUB JUNE 2008 – AUGUST 2008

Midnight Street Soccer is a community football project in Belfast that aims to develop sport, communities and people. Engaging young people through cross community football competitions and coaching projects, we aim to increase their understanding and awareness of pertinent social issues including community relations. This will be done by providing opportunities for young people to come together and participate in sports events, educational workshops / residentials exploring similarities and differences between communities. Sport has the potential to play a fundamental role in the development of good relations, and Midnight Street Soccer epitomises the value of sport in the community.

Midnight Street Soccer is an intervention that challenges sectarianism and racism and conflict in our society. It provides opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to come together, supports community safety, promotes trust and understanding, and supports the development of relationships between communities and individuals.

The project challenges intolerance by:

• Eliminating sectarianism and racism;
• Reducing conflict and tension at interface areas;
• Facilitating the development of shared communities, and;

Encouraging communication, tolerance and trust in areas where communities are living apart.

Thanks to funding received from the Sport Relief Conflict Programme, the project will create opportunities for young people to participate in sport at times when communities are vulnerable to anti social behaviour. Over 50 youth and community groups and 1,000 young people will benefit from taking part in a diversionary activity which reinforces social inclusion, cultural diversity and good relations.

Funding from Belfast City Council has allowed us to enhance the awareness and understanding of 50 young people. The young people have had the unique opportunity to participate in teambuilding sessions, educational workshops and residentials. They have experienced and taught about different cultures, explore diverse traditions and challenge stereotypes in an innovative and stimulating environment.

Midnight Street Soccer Football Club is a team made up of selected young people from the different facility’s the Midnight Street Soccer programme runs. A diverse group with young people from the Waterworks, Paisley Park, Brook Activity Centre and Olympia LC venues all involved. The young people took part in 10 workshops and a number of football sessions over a 12 week course. Workshops including Self Reflection, Shared Interests, Conflict, Difference, and Evaluation were delivered to the young people by the highly skilled tutor William Mitchell. William’s sessions were intense and the young people had lots to think about during the sessions.

Challenging stereotypes really got the young people realising there is not as much of a difference between them as perceived. William used a method of team work ie a football team. During the workshops the young people gave feedback that included ‘It soon didn’t matter what religion you were when I was in there’

The football sessions helped build confidence and self esteem throughout the team. A sense of trust and togetherness was apparent in the team. William’s sessions helped break down the initial barriers but the football sessions continued to grow confidence with each other.

Residential to explore diverse cultures

After 10 weeks of team building and educational workshops the young people of the Midnight Street Soccer Football Team travelled to Glasgow for a Good Relations Residential were the young people would explore diverse cultures, tour Celtic Park and Ibrox stadiums, also during the residential the young people had lunch at the Jock Stein lounge and played a friendly at Ibrox against a Rangers select team.

The players for the Rangers Select team came to meet the MSS players on the Friday for a photo shoot for the Rangers FC magazine.

The match ended in victory for The Midnight Street Soccer team, 5-3 was the final score.

Throughout the residential the young people were treated with respect and as a professional team would be treated. The young people mixed and made any new friendships .They represented not only Midnight Street Soccer and themselves but Belfast. They did Belfast Proud.

They behaved perfectly throughout.

Future recommendations would be a longer life span of the project and more time for workshops. This programme was enjoyed by the young people but more importantly we broke down perceived stereotypes of different people with different backgrounds in 22 young people.

All in all a great success!

These are direct quotes taking from the young people on the boat travelling home.

“Excelent had a great craic the whole time”

“Unbelievable experience, everything was top class. End of story”

“Had a brilliant time were treated like pros the whole time. Top class”

“Really enjoyed the whole experience with the lads. Highlight was beating Rangers 5-3 and scoring 4th goal”

“The Quiz was rigged”

“Great craic. Good coaching. The lads were a laugh”

“Loved every minute. Coaches were dead on and a good laugh. Would love to get picked again for this. Smashing”

During the workshop stage of programme the young people were given a questionnaire. Midnight Street Soccer, Sport Relief and Prof Fred Coulter from the University of Stirling devised the questionnaire which will:

‘Examine the extent of which our programme has changed behaviour and negative attitudes towards other communities”

This evaluation continues with Prof Coulter and a final evaluation will be available.