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08 October 2007

A round up of news from the IFA Community Relations Programme

IFA Inaugural World United Awards a Celebration of the IFA’s Football For All Impact in the Community

With support from UEFA, NICEM, Belfast City Council, the Special EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation and the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council, the Irish Football Association (IFA) held its inaugural World United Awards in Belfast at the Garrick Bar on Wednesday 19 September.

The IFA’s Head of Community Relations, Michael Boyd, who co-ordinates the World United Programme and plays for the team, explains the success of the IFA World United Programme:

“The IFA’s World United Programme is a community driven initiative which breaks down barriers to inclusion in football, proactively encouraging people from Ethnic Minorities, as well as Catholics and Protestants to play football in a safe and fun environment. World United started back in 2003 and the current IFA World United Team is more diverse than ever with Players from Portugal, France, Somalia, Ivory Coast, Qatar, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Poland and Iran playing with local Catholic and Protestant Players who have volunteered to support the IFA’s Community Relations Football For All campaign. We believe our World United Team is a model which celebrates how sport can embrace diversity and the Awards Night was a great opportunity to reward those Players who have contributed to the success of World United”.

“BOTH CLIFTONVILLE AND LINFEILD DESERVE PRAISE FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO ERADICATE SECTARIANISM”; IFA HEAD OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, MICHAEL BOYD

The Irish Football Association’s Head of Community Relations, Michael Boyd, today praised both Cliftonville Football Club and Linfeild Football Club for their efforts to eradicate sectarianism from the game, after the highly entertaining two – two draw at Solitude on Monday evening in their opening game in the Carnegie Irish Premier League:

“Both Clubs are working hard to ensure families from all sections of the community can come to their games and enjoy football in a fun and safe environment. Before the game on Monday night both Clubs worked in partnership to ensure a strong anti-sectarian message was communicated to the crowd when both their women’s teams paraded anti-sectarian banners on the pitch. Having worked closely with both Clubs recently I know how committed they are to eradicating sectarianism and the full implementation of UEFA’s Ten Point Plan to help create a more inclusive atmosphere at games. I feel it is important people recognise the real and meaningful progress both Clubs are making. In particular I would like to pick out two people for special praise, Linfeild’s Andrew Conn and Cliftonville’s Gerard Lawlor. These two men have a great working relationship and have taken a lead at their Clubs with regards to promoting positive Community Relations. They are a credit to their Clubs, the Irish League and the sport of football in Northern Ireland”.

Referees and IFA Football For All Team Remember Linfeild Chairman David Crawford in Special Charity Friendly at Windsor Park Tonight (Wed 26^th Sept)

The Irish Football Association’s Community Relations Football For All Charity Team captained by Northern Ireland Legend, Mal Donaghy, play the Northern Ireland Referees Charity XI tonight (Wed 26^th Sept) at Windsor Park, kick off 7.30pm, in a charity game, to benefit the Chest Heart and Stroke Association, to remember Linfeild Chairman, David Crawford.

IFA Head of Community Relations, Michael Boyd, explains how he was delighted to be able to get a team together for the game:

“David Crawford was respected throughout the sport of football in Northern Ireland as a man who was one hundred percent dedicated to the development of the game. I was honoured to be asked to put together a charity team in his memory. The team we have brought together for the game tonight is representative of the different groups we work with in the community and each Player is delighted to contribute to the charity. To play at Windsor Park is a dream come true for many of the Players and we are really looking forward to playing the game in a spirit of fair play and fun”.

Entrance to the game is free but people are kindly asked to make a small donation to charity.

IFA and PSNI Hold Youth Forum to Increase Racial Awareness in East Belfast

The Irish Football Association (IFA) and the PSNI in East Belfast have adopted a new approach to help reduce hate crime and increase racial awareness, using sport as the hook to address Community Relations issues.  They invited young people from Hells Kitchen, New York, to take part in a highly successful Sport and Interculturalism Youth Forum with over thirty students from schools across East Belfast, held at Ashfield Boys High School on Tuesday 25^th September. 

Chief Inspector Mark Purdon explained the reasons behind the visit:

“The young people from New York attend the High School of Hospitality and Management in New York where positive Community Relations and Interculturalism are incorporated into the fabric of their education and the sports they play.  Police, in partnership with the IFA and schools in East Belfast, held a highly successful Sport and Interculturalism Youth Forum on Tuesday to increase racial awareness. 

“As a Police Service we are dedicated to embracing and implementing the 10 Year Strategy for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland.  One of it’s pledges is to ensure that children and young people are supported to grow together in a shared, inclusive society where they respect diversity and culture.”

 The IFA’s Head of Community Relations, Michael Boyd, explained how the Youth Forum helps the IFA make a positive impact in the community:

“The IFA is a socially responsible organisation committed to promoting positive Community Relations. The Youth Forum brought together an exceptional group of young people from New York and six different schools from across East Belfast to discuss the Community Relations issues facing sport. The Forum was facilitated by one of our Football For All Community RelationsTrainers, David White from Concept Eleven and I also delivered a Football For All workshop with over 100 of the Year Nine Students. Ashfield Boys High School is a fantastic school and we were delighted to hold the Forum there. The Community Police in East Belfast deserve a lot of credit for the good work they are doing and we thoroughly enjoyed working with them on the Forum. The event was a great success and we hope to work in partnership with the PSNI and Schools to make this an annual event. ”.

IFA HELPS STEER NEW UK AND IRELAND WIDE FOOTBALL BODY

The Irish Football Association (IFA) is being represented today (Friday 28^th Sept) in Sheffield at Bramal Lane, home of Sheffield United FC, on a new UK and Ireland wide football body which aims to eradicate racism and sectarianism from the beautiful game. This new body is called Football Without Frontiers (FWF) and it was launched at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, in June this year.

The IFA’s Head of Community Relations, Michael Boyd, is one of the founding members of this new body and he explains its development:

“FWF brings together the expertise of people who have worked tirelessly over the last ten to fifteen years to challenge racism, bigotry and sectarianism in the sport of football across the UK and Ireland. Established groups who have made a real and meaningful difference in the community are represented, such as Kick it Out, Football Unites Racism Divides, Show Racism the Red Card and Sport Against Racism Ireland. The FWF body enables these people to network, share their considerable experience and share new ideas to help combat racism and sectarianism, using the sport of football to promote positive community relations. Today’s meeting is our third meeting and we are discussing the possibility of developing a FWF website and having a FWF conference in the near future.

Although lots of progress has been made over the last seven years, in Northern Ireland we have a lot of work to do to ensure the sport of football is welcoming and inclusive for all the community. I have no doubt that our involvement in FWF will help us as we try to build on the success of our Football For All campaign at international level and make a more positive impact working in partnership with Fans and Clubs in the Irish League”.

Ballymena Man Davy is the IFA’s Secret Weapon in Fight Against Bigotry

A highly respected Community Relations Consultant from Ballymena was today praised as one of the unsung heroes in the Irish Football Association’s (IFA) Football For All Community Relations Drive. David White from Concept Eleven has been brought in by the IFA as an outside Consultant to deliver equity training to Administrators, Coaches, Executive Committee Members and Volunteers since 2001.

The IFA’s recently appointed Director of Business, Morris Corrin, explained the important role David plays in the IFA’s Football For All Community Relations Drive:

“David’s ongoing training ensures our Staff is up to speed with Community Relations issues facing football and challenges us to think about how we can be more inclusive. Equity training is an investment in our Staff which is helping to make the IFA a more inclusive organisation. David is also currently playing a key role assisting the IFA as a Facilitator on the new UK and Ireland wide Football Without Frontiers body which aims to eradicate sectarianism and racism from the game of football and we are delighted to have him on our team”.