Homeless World Cup: England may miss out
Updated on 18 August 2010
England's Homeless World Cup team has cut its budget by two-thirds, but unless it can raise more money the team may be unable to join the competition in Brazil this September, Channel 4 News's Keme Nzerem discovers.
Cash-strapped footballers seem a rarity in today's glitzy world of Premier League stars, and in the wake of the huge sponsorship deals for this year's World Cup in South Africa.
But the Homeless World Cup, taking place this year in Brazil in September, is very different.
For the 30,000 homeless people from 64 countries taking part, it is a chance to change their lives through football.
But the England team this year faces missing out on the tournament for the first time in its eight-year history, due to a funding shortfall.
The ultimate dream is to follow in the footsteps of recent Manchester United signing Bebe, who joined the club this month after beginning his career playing for a club in a homeless league.
For most of the players such a glittering career path is just a dream; but the organisers say 73 per cent of competitors change their lives for the better after the motivation of the tournament, by coming off drugs and alcohol, moving into jobs, education, or new homes, and reuniting with their families.
The England team is £4,500 short of the £11,500 budget needed to take part in the event, which will be held on Copacabana beach in Rio between 19-26 September.
Sad to miss out
Homeless World Cup England team manager, Richard Brown from The Big Issue in the North, said it would be really sad for the players to miss the competition.
He told Channel 4 News that the team has already had to cut its budget from £30,000 to £11,500, abandoning plans for three days residential training and branded kit. The new budget will cover the bare minimum of flights, food and accommodation for the team.
Mr Brown will also be climbing Snowdon on August 31st to raise extra funds. You can sponsor him here.
"Year after year we witness first hand the power football has in changing the lives of the players who take part in the Homeless World Cup," he said.
"They may not all get signed to major football clubs, but they do get the motivation and confidence to find employment, sort out permanent accommodation and break patterns of behaviour that have stopped them moving on in the past.
"It would be really sad if we were unable to send a team from England to the Homeless World Cup this year. This is a major event for our players, and they have spent months training for the competition. We really need support from members of the public to help get us to the tournament this year and I hope people will understand the importance of supporting our national homeless team."
Homeless player given hope
18-year old striker Kareem Leigh told Channel 4 News that not reaching the competition would be a real blow for the players.
"It will kill the rest of the lads because everyone's really excited," he said. "We all get along and we have a good chance this year. If we don't get to go then we can't do our country proud. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity really to play over in Brazil in a 5-a-side tournament."
He said football, and the chance to play in the Homeless World Cup, had helped pull him out of depression.
Before becoming homeless, he had played in the past for West Ham's youth team.
"When you're sucked into this homeless environment you need something bright, something to drag you out there, to change your scenery and stuff," he said.
"I slipped into depression seven or eight months ago and I felt so horrible. I'd wake up in the morning with a feeling like extreme boredom and I thought to myself how can I get out of this?
"I thought let me start playing football and the World Cup actually made me realise I have a talent, why am I wasting it? It doesn't make sense I'm sitting in here spinning around doing nothing."
Celebrity backers
The Homeless World Cup will take place in 2011 in Paris, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been confirmed as president of the organising committee for the event, which will take place at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
The event is also supported by Nike, the United Nations, UEFA, global ambassador Eric Cantona and international footballers Rio Ferdinand and Didier Drogba.
Wenger said the event gives homeless people a target to aim for.
"What is important for a guy who is homeless is to give him a target again in life, for him to know that when he gets up he has training. He takes a shower, has lunch and knows that he has training again the next morning," he said.
"It gives him something to think about, it gets discipline into his life again. When you lose that discipline, it becomes one of the big problems for young people. They cannot find a job because they are not shaved, not showered. Everybody rejects them, they feel on the outside, excluded."
