Heroic Irish team returns from Homeless World Cup

national | miscellaneous | news report

Tuesday July 15, 2003 11:17

by Jon Glackin - Issues Magazine

“I hope that this pioneer project at the meeting point between football, culture and social integration will help to raise awareness and improve the plight of the homeless”

Gerhard Aigner, Chief Executive CEO, UEFA

Heroic Irish team returns from Homeless World Cup!

“I hope that this pioneer project at the meeting point between football, culture and social integration will help to raise awareness and improve the plight of the homeless”

Gerhard Aigner, Chief Executive CEO, UEFA

After their valiant efforts against stronger opposition in the Homeless World Cup the Irish team returned from Graz in the early hours of Tuesday morning. They carry with them a powerful international message in the pursuit of the eradication of homelessness that they hope will echo throughout the World. After all Issues magazines efforts to get a team to represent Ireland at the Championships to raise the profile of homelessness here the dream became a reality for 8 homeless men who proudly represented their country against 17 other nations at Graz, Austria.

The men managed to reach the semi-finals of their section through sheer determination against the odds. Their opposition proved to be much more experienced and organized. After all these lads only got together as a team little under 2 months ago and this lack of experience proved to be the mitigating factor as they played against teams who had played together for the last year or more! Nevertheless they recorded impressive victories against the Welsh and Spanish sides in the tournament. The team attracted one of the largest and most vocal bunch of supporters in Graz as people from around the world cheered on the boys in green throughout the tournament that were shocked by the levels of homelessness in Ireland.

The message that came from the homeless community gathered in Graz was that through the medium of football which creates equality for all on the pitch also creates an increased sense of self esteem, a realization of the value of team work, fair play and fun. These positive factors trickle into the day to day to existence of those who find themselves without a permanent address and as such creates a valuable vehicle that must emanate from Graz to the streets of Ireland. With all this in mind Issues magazine will be creating the first homeless street league based on successful schemes found across the world in association with the FAI, Dublin City Council and various homeless agencies. The first training session will be held at Brickfield Park, Crumlin on Wednesday 23 July at 6pm, which will be open to all homeless men and woman in Dublin.

For any further information, interviews or images please contact Jon Glackin in the first instance at 01 873 0071/ 086 3140767/ issues@eircom.net

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